I have recently had cause to imagine the future and it is not all that bright. Last Thursday night I lost my grip on the handrail and fell backwards down my stairs. Plenty of soft tissue damage, nothing broken. But since then I've been in quite a bit of pain, having to move slowly and struggle with everyday tasks, something I can't remember ever having experienced before.
At first I was commenting that "I felt about 90 years old", but after thinking more about it I believe this must be what morbid obesity feels like. Everything is a huge chore: getting dressed, putting away the dishes, feeding the dog, walking the dog, getting up and down the stairs. My concentration is poor because sitting at the computer hurts. My sleep is low quality and sporadic. I have to plan things ahead, and then I don't know if I'll have the energy to do them. Generally, I feel pretty bloody miserable.
Some of you experience this kind of pain and physical limitation every day. They probably crept up on you, just like the weight did. However, in a moment I shifted abruptly from none of it to heaps of it and so the difference is quite startling.
Think about what life would be like without those creaking joints, those sore spots, those 'lacks'. What would it feel like to run for a tram, tie your own shoelaces, use a regular toilet? And if you are not yet in this "pain space", this is where you can end up after gaining just a few kilos each year.
What one thing can you do today to move closer to a healthier life?
Bette Davis said "old age ain't no place for sissies". I say "obesity ain't no place for sissies". Whilst old age is inevitable (if we're lucky enough to survive), dragging oneself through each and every day is not.
Do something different - it can't be worse than staying in that painful, heavy prison.
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