Unit 3 Ethical Essay "exercise"

Do you exercise?

Everyone knows that a healthy diet includes exercise of some type. There a millions of diet pills, diets and exercise equipment available so why is it that Americans are still over weight and suffer from obesity? Our children should be taught to eat right and to participate in physical activities instead of video games and fast food joints.

This brings me to my first issue, why should we exercise besides the obvious reason of being over weight. Well exercise improves cardio respiratory endurance which helps to prevent plaque build up in the arteries preventing heart attacks. Routine exercise and a healthy diet helps to prevent certain cancers like colon, breast, and cervical cancers. Exercise improves muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, and improves bone density and strength preventing osteoporosis. Not only does exercise and eating right physically help the body it also helps with depression and gives a person a feeling of tranquility.

Now we have a basic understanding of why exercise is so important to the mind and body why don’t we do it. Well today people are to busy watching television and playing video games that we are missing out on great opportunities to improve our health. The continually growing fast food places that are fast and convenient are hitting society hard and adding serious poundage. In most schools, gym class has been eliminated to one day a week and extracurricular activities require money to join. Most people can’t afford to pay for their child to be on the soccer or football team and not having a regular gym class is the only time their children have to exercise, which too is being taken away.

What should we do? The first thing is to teach our children the importance of exercise and eating right. Instead of buying those video games for your child play a physical activity or get them signed up for one. This way both you and your child are exercising and improving your health today. We need to teach our selves and our children that exercising and eating right can be fun. Instead of taking the family to KFC make a healthy meal together, get everyone involved so that it is fun, educational, and mind and body satisfying.

Eating right and exercise needs to be looked at as an enjoyment and a family activity. Communities could even start evening walks or activities for them and their children to do together. If together we don’t start taking control of our lives the obesity epidemic will not go a way instead it will increase along with preventable diseases.