I speak from experience in the overweight category. After years of Doritos and milkshakes and very limited physical activity, I tipped the scales at nearly 300 lbs!
Me and My Boys at a Dust Devils Game
A dozen years ago, something clicked. I don’t know the exact trigger but I lost over a hundred pounds and pursued a major change in my lifestyle including my food choices and physical activity level.
How grateful I am that that change occurred in my life. In the meantime, I became a nurse with a desire to help people with their health. Then, hiketricities.com was born. I feel this is a way I can help encourage others to live healthier, more active lives.
Then, the Sad News of Obesity Hit the Tri-Cities
Its downright sad and embarrassing. The Tri-Cities made the top 10 of the most obese metro areas in the United States!
The Tri-Cities has the Dubious Claim as the 9th Most Obese City in the U.S.
Gallup-Healthways Well Being Index
This should be a wake-up call for us all. The Tri-Cities ranked number 9 with an average BMI (body mass index) of 33.2.
Health Problems are Often Linked to Obesity
As a registered nurse, I can tell you, non-scientifically, that obesity is one of the biggest risk factors for disease and hospitalization in our area.
I think sedentary lifestyles, fast & junk food and the thinking that “I can take a pill for that” are some of the contributors to the obesity epidemic and empathy towards a healthy lifestyle. It doesn’t look like it will change soon as our kids are off to a dismal start as childhood obesity statistics aren’t much better.
Our bodies just can’t keep up with an indulgent lifestyle. Hence, the explosion of diabetes in our society.
What Can You Do?
As I founded Hike Tri-Cities.com with healthy motives, I would suggest you steer your portly friends to this web site and encourage them to “get off the couch and on the trail”. It’s no secret that to lose weight, you have to eat less and exercise more. There are more than two dozen different hikes listed on Hike Tri-Cities.com and they range from easy to difficult, skill levels for almost anyone.
Many people know they need to lose weight but find it very difficult to accomplish that goal. If you take a little more tactful approach with resistant friends, maybe you can encourage them to get more active. I would suggest you let them know about the beautiful vistas they could see while hiking in our area. The kind of views you can’t see anywhere else. Our area has a special kind of beauty with the desert and Channeled Scablands. And, don’t forget the wildflowers! Their blooming season is just beginning and it’s amazing the colors brightening the trailsides of the Columbia Basin. You could even share some pictures you’ve taken or pictures from Hiketricities.com.
Whether it’s hiking to the top of Badger Mountain or strolling along the Audubon Trail in Columbia Park, there are options out there that can help our friends who just don’t think about ways to be more active.
I strongly encourage you to spread the message about Hike Tri-Cities.com. I want to help people become healthier and “Enjoy the Beauty that Surrounds Us”.