What are things that everyone ought to understand, but many don't?

Ya, we all have a different perspective of what they deem a healthy lifestyle. BTW, smoking does cause cancer, it's on the package- and excessive sugar is a cause of diabetes, so how is that shaming, it's fact.

Shaming and judgment absolutely goes both ways, that's human nature and I believe how we keep humanity in check - so long as it isn't done in violation of someones safety or human rights.

We can all help each other and offer ways to improve a situation personal experience:

I'm a very honest and upfront to people in person, and sometimes it's not appreciated by others.

As a very experienced trainer, I observed a woman at the gym who was being trained by an idiot - she wasn't getting results.

As weeks went by, I finally went up to her and offered her my personal assistance for free (something I don't normally do, but I knew I could help her)

At first, she was very standoffish and later admitted very offended by me intruding on her training.

Once she realized I could help her and cooled off, she accepted.

Within weeks she was reshaping her body and mind, it was a beautiful thing. This girl litterly worked her butt off!

it was life changing for her - the sad thing was, her husband was upset with her drastic weight loss at first. But then, he started to see the light and followed her path.

I do not shame people for being overweight, but I know they can be better and healthier and deep down know how to do it. We all innately know, we choose not to make the right decisions.

For me, I don't really care if someone smokes, but I do care when I have to walk through a cloud of it on the sidewalk or door of a building- why should I (Kids, dogs, others) have to breath in smoke because someone else is smoking. That's very selfish.

Also, one can be too obsessed with health and fitness that it creates the opposite effect. Balance is key- to absolutely everything in life.

A healthier population would have happier people.
I worked my butt off by walking, now I can’t keep my pants up cause I don’t have a butt.

diabetes is a complicated disease and there is both a genetic component and an exposure to certain chemicals component. Veterans exposed to Agent Orange, for example, are presumptive for diabetes, has nothing to do with their diet.This disease is NOT caused by eating sugar only.

Now, where the heck did I put my candy bar? Since I’m already diabetic, I don’t have to worry about becoming diabetic. Such a relief. 😊
 

Social media is not your friend
Social media is designed to get you to engage with it and use it. It is not a source of news.
It is a source of propaganda. Everything one reads there that influences their belief should be checked out by reputable sources.
True of any media,"social" or otherwise. Always has been. And by "there" you also mean here on SF, right?
 
It's been my experience that most of the shaming is directed against the sick people: "She has cancer but it's her own fault for smoking," "He has diabetes, but I saw him at the store with cookies in his cart."

I know young people who think if you eat healthy (defined by the diet of the year) and work-out, you'll never get sick. Those things help, I'm all in favor, but they are no guarantee. The older I get the more examples I see of people who've lived healthy lifestyles going down.
I don't think it's aimed at sick people per say. It's just that from a economics perspective, when the Canadian health care budget it 20%, or 30% more than 10 years ago, yet obesity, diabetes and controllable lifestyle diseases are increasing, you must ask, where does it end? Do we continue to increase funding indefinitely because people are not getting it? Should I feel good about my taxes increasing every year to cover this? Even from a govt standpoint, where does the personal responsibility of the individual come in?

During the pandemic, it was fashionable to say "wear a mask to protect others, get the shot to protect others, stay home to protect others", and so on. So if that is allowed and not a societal faux pas , why can't people say "maintain your health for the good of your country, get in shape to help and protect others availability to health care, get healthy/ier so there are beds for those that need it"! If someone said that boy would you feel a s&it storm down upon you.

Double standard, but also completely justified. If the pandemic is out of anyone control, so be it. But your overall health is totally in your control. There are no mitigating factors deciding you health other than you. But for some reason, that statement I just said will undoubtedly offend people. But I stand by it. You can't have it both ways.

And yes, smoking is a personal choice. It also causes about 54k deaths in Canada each year due to smoking related illness. As well as you affect me when you do it. 12k deaths in Canada from second hand smoking. So yes if someone has a breathing issue that can be attributed to smoking, then it's you fault. Alcohol 18k deaths per year in Can. Both direct (liver disease, pancreas, overdosing, car crashes, fights, etc). That as well is your control. You did it, not me.

Science has proved that there is a large spectrum of "healthy people" definitions. Just cause you are thin and have no current illness does not mean you are healthy. This problem is 2 fold. First, the majority of people don't go to the doctor to have regular check ups, and possibly head off problems before they occur, because they 'feel' fine. So that negates catching most things when they can much easier be fixed/cured/repaired. And in Can at least, our check ups are so useless they could be done by a 10 year old with a fisher price telescope! That is one thing that needs to change. They need to be regular and intensive.

We had our last checkup here in Poland, and it is a 2 day affair. First is the typical, blood, urine but here they do fecal test as well. Then there is heart checks, not with just a stethoscope, but a ekg, sonogram and a cmr. Then it was a chest xray, lower body sonogram to check your organs-liver, kidneys, pancreas and so on-then you can have optional head scan (separate appt) and every other year it is ear and eye check.

We also had one in the Czech Republic a few years ago, that was so intense it was a 1 week set of tests-M and T for standard testing, W for optional testing and Friday for second round of similar tests to the Monday. Eg: Monday was a fasting blood and urine test, but Friday was eat a normal breakfast and see how your blood says. This should be standard.

And I have to disagree with your diet of the year. People who follow that garbage get nowhere, maybe sicker. Very simplistic to eat healthy. Many studies show that we consume 50% minimum more calories that even 50 years ago (I think it is waaay more than 50%), we do 50% less physical activity than 50 years ago (again ha, way less), and define healthy as essentially not sick.

I recently watched a video of US high schools sports curriculum (in black and white), and the students in high school were athletes. All male and female were able to run miles, pull ups, sit ups, pushups, hurdles, etc, and not a obese or even chubby one in the whole school.
What happened? How do we devolve so bad that childhood obesity is a thing? How is type 2 diabetes a thing in 10 year olds? What is wrong with us that we turn a blind eye to this, and play dumb. All we do is attack and blame others-govt, friends, forum participants (lol), and think we are getting somewhere. Well we are...a miserable end of life and a early grave.
 

I don't think it's aimed at sick people per say. It's just that from a economics perspective, when the Canadian health care budget it 20%, or 30% more than 10 years ago, yet obesity, diabetes and controllable lifestyle diseases are increasing, you must ask, where does it end? Do we continue to increase funding indefinitely because people are not getting it? Should I feel good about my taxes increasing every year to cover this? Even from a govt standpoint, where does the personal responsibility of the individual come in?

During the pandemic, it was fashionable to say "wear a mask to protect others, get the shot to protect others, stay home to protect others", and so on. So if that is allowed and not a societal faux pas , why can't people say "maintain your health for the good of your country, get in shape to help and protect others availability to health care, get healthy/ier so there are beds for those that need it"! If someone said that boy would you feel a s&it storm down upon you.

Double standard, but also completely justified. If the pandemic is out of anyone control, so be it. But your overall health is totally in your control. There are no mitigating factors deciding you health other than you. But for some reason, that statement I just said will undoubtedly offend people. But I stand by it. You can't have it both ways.

And yes, smoking is a personal choice. It also causes about 54k deaths in Canada each year due to smoking related illness. As well as you affect me when you do it. 12k deaths in Canada from second hand smoking. So yes if someone has a breathing issue that can be attributed to smoking, then it's you fault. Alcohol 18k deaths per year in Can. Both direct (liver disease, pancreas, overdosing, car crashes, fights, etc). That as well is your control. You did it, not me.

Science has proved that there is a large spectrum of "healthy people" definitions. Just cause you are thin and have no current illness does not mean you are healthy. This problem is 2 fold. First, the majority of people don't go to the doctor to have regular check ups, and possibly head off problems before they occur, because they 'feel' fine. So that negates catching most things when they can much easier be fixed/cured/repaired. And in Can at least, our check ups are so useless they could be done by a 10 year old with a fisher price telescope! That is one thing that needs to change. They need to be regular and intensive.

We had our last checkup here in Poland, and it is a 2 day affair. First is the typical, blood, urine but here they do fecal test as well. Then there is heart checks, not with just a stethoscope, but a ekg, sonogram and a cmr. Then it was a chest xray, lower body sonogram to check your organs-liver, kidneys, pancreas and so on-then you can have optional head scan (separate appt) and every other year it is ear and eye check.

We also had one in the Czech Republic a few years ago, that was so intense it was a 1 week set of tests-M and T for standard testing, W for optional testing and Friday for second round of similar tests to the Monday. Eg: Monday was a fasting blood and urine test, but Friday was eat a normal breakfast and see how your blood says. This should be standard.

And I have to disagree with your diet of the year. People who follow that garbage get nowhere, maybe sicker. Very simplistic to eat healthy. Many studies show that we consume 50% minimum more calories that even 50 years ago (I think it is waaay more than 50%), we do 50% less physical activity than 50 years ago (again ha, way less), and define healthy as essentially not sick.

I recently watched a video of US high schools sports curriculum (in black and white), and the students in high school were athletes. All male and female were able to run miles, pull ups, sit ups, pushups, hurdles, etc, and not a obese or even chubby one in the whole school.
What happened? How do we devolve so bad that childhood obesity is a thing? How is type 2 diabetes a thing in 10 year olds? What is wrong with us that we turn a blind eye to this, and play dumb. All we do is attack and blame others-govt, friends, forum participants (lol), and think we are getting somewhere. Well we are...a miserable end of life and an early grave.
I am 78, so no early grave. Diet Is often driven by what you can afford. Nothing is black and white. I could eat the healthiest diet available and it’d still have cancer and all my other issues. i Was exposed to Agent Orange and a burn pit when I was 18. It has been a downhill health slide since then.

Your “facts” in my opinion are incorrect
 
We’re all going to die of something and probably with several things.

I’m not sure it matters if we die from smoking, drinking, diet, drugs or advanced old age with complications from Alzheimer’s and dementia.

We all pay into the system and we all deserve appropriate healthcare.

It may actually put less stress on the system if some of us die early due to our individual choices. 🤔
 
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I don't think it's aimed at sick people per say. It's just that from a economics perspective, when the Canadian health care budget it 20%, or 30% more than 10 years ago, yet obesity, diabetes and controllable lifestyle diseases are increasing, you must ask, where does it end? Do we continue to increase funding indefinitely because people are not getting it? Should I feel good about my taxes increasing every year to cover this? Even from a govt standpoint, where does the personal responsibility of the individual come in?
Cheer up! All those people who smoke and eat donuts will die sooner than average and save you millions of dollars in social security payments.
 
I am 78, so no early grave. Diet Is often driven by what you can afford. Nothing is black and white. I could eat the healthiest diet available and it’d still have cancer and all my other issues. i Was exposed to Agent Orange and a burn pit when I was 18. It has been a downhill health slide since then.

Your “facts” in my opinion are incorrect
My facts are not incorrect. You just said you were exposed to uncontrollable events. More than likely had a contribution to any health outcomes.

That is exactly what I said in my post.

I wish you good health.
 
My facts are not incorrect. You just said you were exposed to uncontrollable events. More than likely had a contribution to any health outcomes.

That is exactly what I said in my post.

I wish you good health.
Did you miss the in my opinion part? In my OPINION you facts are wrong, in your OPINION your facts are right. We agree to disagree. 🤡. Stalemate. 🤪
 
I don't think we can ascertain what everyone should know. Environment and culture determine this. It varies so widely that making a universal need to know but don't is judgemental. If the shoe fits , wear it. It works it way through the cultural system to become a main stay or not. :)
 
From time to time, there are things that many don't seem to understand, or they have willing blindness to.
What do you feel those things might be?
No partisan politics please.
Like some others in the forum, I am dealing with a medical issue. That makes health issues my dominant concern.

Oh, how I remember taking my health for granted. I think everyone understands thinking bad things happen to others, but that they won't happen to me. Being proud of ignoring the health warnings because I didn't have a problem. I took risks and every time I thought I got away with it, I felt bolder about having an indestructible body.

Now I see people in poor physical condition or doing something that shouldn't be done and I want to stop them and tell them how important good health practices are. 😄 Yeah, like people are really to appreciate that.
 
We’re all going to die of something and probably with several things.

I’m not sure it matters if we die from smoking, drinking, diet, drugs or advanced old age with complications from Alzheimer’s and dementia.

We all pay into the system and we all deserve appropriate healthcare.

It may actually put less stress on the system if some of us die early due to our individual choices. 🤔
Well, actually a good response. In a way. Yes at the end no matter how good or bad we lived, we all will die, some with many things, others with a jolt (heart attack) and lights out.

And yes many will die early because of their choices. But the post is about what we should know better, and every human being should know better than to do things that are bad for themselves, and eat or drink things that cause ill health. But, of course to each their own.

But where I disagree is that we all pay into it, so we should all get it. So if I pay -for arguments sake only- 100 dollars a month and you pay 100 dollars a month.
I eat very good, take supplements, exercise daily, and essentially create good health. Neither my wife or I have gone to the doctor for anything other than reg check ups in at least 15 years. We can't remember when we last had to go for anything.
If you (again for example, no intention implied) eat mcdee's, smoke, drink, sit around all day doing nothing.
You then visit the doctor regularly for checkups but then for many other visits because of your lifestyle choices. Using resources, extra referrals, more invasive testing etc.

So if I have 10 doctors visits in 10 years at a cost (again made up as I don't know the cost) of 100 per visit for 1000 total. And you visit the doc in that same 10 years 100 times at the cost of 100 per visit meaning 10k, is that fair? Should I be held to the same level of taxation as you?

There are many countries that you do pay more if you are a smoker, a drinker, are overweight and other lifestyle choices. I think that is a fair thing. If I strive for longevity, health, fitness and even if I live to 85 but I live well right up to it, then drop, that is a good life. If another person lives to 85 regardless of their choices (in the other case bad choices), but for the last 10 they are using resources, medication, doc visits weekly, specialized care and so on at my expense...well that's where I draw the line. And vehemently disagree with the statement...'we all pay so we should all get equal care'! Nope. I pay x and the other person pays 5x or 10x.
If they don't value their life enough, but I value mine, then we should all be held accountable to our contribution and deduction from society!
 
I don't think it's aimed at sick people per say. It's just that from a economics perspective, when the Canadian health care budget it 20%, or 30% more than 10 years ago, yet obesity, diabetes and controllable lifestyle diseases are increasing, you must ask, where does it end? Do we continue to increase funding indefinitely because people are not getting it? Should I feel good about my taxes increasing every year to cover this? Even from a govt standpoint, where does the personal responsibility of the individual come in?

During the pandemic, it was fashionable to say "wear a mask to protect others, get the shot to protect others, stay home to protect others", and so on. So if that is allowed and not a societal faux pas , why can't people say "maintain your health for the good of your country, get in shape to help and protect others availability to health care, get healthy/ier so there are beds for those that need it"! If someone said that boy would you feel a s&it storm down upon you.

Double standard, but also completely justified. If the pandemic is out of anyone control, so be it. But your overall health is totally in your control. There are no mitigating factors deciding you health other than you. But for some reason, that statement I just said will undoubtedly offend people. But I stand by it. You can't have it both ways.

And yes, smoking is a personal choice. It also causes about 54k deaths in Canada each year due to smoking related illness. As well as you affect me when you do it. 12k deaths in Canada from second hand smoking. So yes if someone has a breathing issue that can be attributed to smoking, then it's you fault. Alcohol 18k deaths per year in Can. Both direct (liver disease, pancreas, overdosing, car crashes, fights, etc). That as well is your control. You did it, not me.

Science has proved that there is a large spectrum of "healthy people" definitions. Just cause you are thin and have no current illness does not mean you are healthy. This problem is 2 fold. First, the majority of people don't go to the doctor to have regular check ups, and possibly head off problems before they occur, because they 'feel' fine. So that negates catching most things when they can much easier be fixed/cured/repaired. And in Can at least, our check ups are so useless they could be done by a 10 year old with a fisher price telescope! That is one thing that needs to change. They need to be regular and intensive.

We had our last checkup here in Poland, and it is a 2 day affair. First is the typical, blood, urine but here they do fecal test as well. Then there is heart checks, not with just a stethoscope, but a ekg, sonogram and a cmr. Then it was a chest xray, lower body sonogram to check your organs-liver, kidneys, pancreas and so on-then you can have optional head scan (separate appt) and every other year it is ear and eye check.

We also had one in the Czech Republic a few years ago, that was so intense it was a 1 week set of tests-M and T for standard testing, W for optional testing and Friday for second round of similar tests to the Monday. Eg: Monday was a fasting blood and urine test, but Friday was eat a normal breakfast and see how your blood says. This should be standard.

And I have to disagree with your diet of the year. People who follow that garbage get nowhere, maybe sicker. Very simplistic to eat healthy. Many studies show that we consume 50% minimum more calories that even 50 years ago (I think it is waaay more than 50%), we do 50% less physical activity than 50 years ago (again ha, way less), and define healthy as essentially not sick.

I recently watched a video of US high schools sports curriculum (in black and white), and the students in high school were athletes. All male and female were able to run miles, pull ups, sit ups, pushups, hurdles, etc, and not a obese or even chubby one in the whole school.
What happened? How do we devolve so bad that childhood obesity is a thing? How is type 2 diabetes a thing in 10 year olds? What is wrong with us that we turn a blind eye to this, and play dumb. All we do is attack and blame others-govt, friends, forum participants (lol), and think we are getting somewhere. Well we are...a miserable end of life and a early grave.
Hey Babe, here's the video you're referring to- boy kids do not look like this now!
 
Value oneself and care for one's bodily health, mental health and understand one's spiritual connections and interdependence with every other sentient being.
Behave with people as you'd wish they behave with you.
Do the best with what one has to work with and create more than one consumes.
I like this "create more than one consumes"
 
Ordinary people of average intelligence and education do not effectively adequately understand much that occurs in our utterly complex and nuanced human world and societies, especially when emotions are involved. Such may lead to mental health issues that is reflected in an explosion of mental illnesses for which substance abuse is also a prime factor. Such also is a factor of how they become targets for media manipulation.

Therapy Won't Save Us

...The U.S. has reached peak therapy. Counseling has become fodder for hit books, podcasts, and movies. Professional athletes, celebrities, and politicians routinely go public with their mental health struggles. And everyone is talking—correctly or not—in the language of therapy, peppering conversations with references to gaslighting, toxic people, and boundaries.

All this mainstream awareness is reflected in the data too: by the latest federal estimates, about one in eight U.S. adults now takes an antidepressant and one in five has recently received some kind of mental-health care, an increase of almost 15 million people in treatment since 2002. Even in the recent past—from 2019 to 2022—use of mental-health services jumped by almost 40% among millions of U.S. adults with commercial insurance, according to a recent study in JAMA Health Forum...


There is much about how a majority of people think about the world that is flawed often in simplistic ways they can only understand. The below concerning Sociopathy is an example of but one narrow facet of many that are often sensationalized in news media and then absorbed by that audience.

Do Sociopaths Worry About Being a Sociopath: Understanding Their Inner Conflicts and Concerns - Mind Psychiatrist
snippet:

Understanding Sociopathy: Sociopathy, characterized by manipulative behavior and emotional detachment, involves complex emotional patterns that affect self-perception.

  • Myths Debunked: Common misconceptions include the belief that sociopaths don’t care about anything and that they are all violent; understanding these myths can lead to greater empathy.
  • Self-Awareness: Many sociopaths possess some self-awareness about their traits and behaviors but may not feel distressed about them, often rationalizing their actions instead.
  • Fear of Rejection: Despite their emotional detachment, sociopaths may fear social rejection, relying on their social connections for manipulation and self-image maintenance.
  • Impact on Relationships: Sociopathic relationships often lack depth, characterized by manipulation and superficial charm, leading to societal mistrust and alienation.
  • Stigma and Misunderstanding: Public perception, often shaped by sensationalized media portrayals, leads to stigma around sociopathy, hindering social integration and understanding of the condition.
 
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I don't think it's aimed at sick people per say. It's just that from a economics perspective, when the Canadian health care budget it 20%, or 30% more than 10 years ago, yet obesity, diabetes and controllable lifestyle diseases are increasing, you must ask, where does it end? Do we continue to increase funding indefinitely because people are not getting it? Should I feel good about my taxes increasing every year to cover this? Even from a govt standpoint, where does the personal responsibility of the individual come in?
You have made a good argument. Perhaps we could tax the people who produce a harmful product so there is money to cover the medical bills and education for better health awareness? This should include all industries that cause health problems and create environmental problems. It is being responsible for the damage. In Oregon I think cigarettes are over taxed and using that money for things not related to smoking is wrong. Alcohol is also taxed but the money is not used to cover the cost of alcoholism.

The video of a PE class makes me think of how the GI Bill brought military thinking/training into the education of children. The music is like marching music, isn't it? What we see is military training and GI's using the GI Bill to become certified teachers.
 


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