If we were to be totally honest, we would have to admit that we, as a society, look down on smokers.  I've actually heard people say things like they have no pity on smokers who are dying of cancer etc. because they brought it on themselves.  Smoking is thought of as "unholy" and religious people will always pull out the scriptures about your body being the temple of God and not allowing oneself to be addicted to something.  Some churches won't let you be a deacon or leader in the church if you smoke.

Even if you aren't religious, chances are pretty good you would judge a mom who smokes with their kids in the car.  We all know the risks of second hand smoking!  Why would you set your child up to be prone to cancers and addiction?!

We, as a society, are so worried about smokers that we try to force them into quitting.  Smoking bans are being passed all over this country preventing smokers from making the rest of us inhale the toxic smoke from their ciggarettes.  We post a big ol' message on every single pack that basically tells you the product you are purchasing is going to kill you.  Smokers are charged huge taxes and outrageous prices for their drug and higher rates for their insurance.  In California, it is ILLEGAL to smoke with a child under than 18 years old in the same car.  We, as a society, are telling you smokers in a big, LOUD, sarcastic voice - "ARE YOU JUST STUPID?!"

I think we would say that smoking is judged by society so harshly because it is a deadly killer.

We all know smoking WILL kill you.  You would have to be living under a rock to not understand that fact.  But, today, I would like to talk about another killer that is equally dangerous, but doesn't have the stigma and social judgement that smoking carries.

Read these statistics and really digest them.  (no pun intended)

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According to the National Vital Statistics Reports, the leading causes of death in the U.S. are heart attacks followed closely by cancer.

A study of more than 100,000 first-time heart-attack victims showed that obesity was the MOST IMPORTANT factor. Smoking ranked second. (Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology.)

Two out of three U.S. adults are overweight or obese. TWO OUT OF THREE!

The percentage of U.S. adults classified as obese DOUBLED between 1980 and 2000. (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1999.)

Obesity and overweight conditions contribute as much as $93 billion to the nation’s yearly medical bill, according to a study conducted by economists from RTI International and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Project HOPE – The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc., 2003.)

Obesity is a greater trigger for health problems and increased health spending than smoking or drinking. Individuals who are obese have 30% to 50% more chronic medical problems than those who smoke or drink heavily. (Roland Sturm, UCLA/RAND Managed Care Center for Psychiatric Disorders, The Effects of Obesity, Smoking and Drinking on Medical Problems and Costs, Health Affairs, March/April 2002.)
 
Obesity is estimated to lead to 400,000 deaths annually, a 33% jump over 1990. Tobacco-related deaths in the same period climbed by less than 9 percent, to 435,000, as the gap between the two narrowed. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004.)

Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes; heart disease; hypertension; osteoarthritis; sleep apnea; gallbladder disease; respiratory problems; stroke; endometrial, breast, prostate and colon cancers; poor female reproductive health; and depression, among other conditions. (The Practical Guide: Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, NHLBI, 2000.)

The total cost of obesity to U.S. companies is estimated at $13 billion per year. Health insurance costs related to obesity comprise the largest percentage of the total ($8 billion), followed by paid sick leave ($2.4 billion), life insurance ($1.8 billion), and disability insurance ($1 billion). (Prevention Makes Common Cents: Estimated Economic Costs of Obesity to U.S. Business, DHHS, 2003.)

Obesity drove 27% of medical cost increases between 1987 and 2001. (Kenneth E. Thorpe, Curtis S. Florence, David H. Howard, Peter Joski, The Impact of Obesity on Rising Medical Spending, Health Affairs, Web Exclusive, October 20, 2004.)

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Why are we judging that mother smoking in the car with her kids when we are teaching our children our own TERRIBLE eating habits and NOT equipping them to live healthy lives giving them what their bodies need?  Instead of society telling us they don't want to accept the diseases obesity causes, we have fast food restaurants on every corner selling us CRAP with absolutely NOTHING nutritional and calling it food.  We have vending machines sitting in every spot imaginable that may have some hungry people.  We feed our kids TERRIBLE "food" at school and THE PUBLIC ACCEPTS THIS.  We put toys in happy meals.  We allow our kids to be marketed by money hungry corporations.  Do I need to go on?

Am I trying to say smoking is better than obesity?  No.  I'm simply stating it's NO DIFFERENT.  They are BOTH killers and will take years of your life that was meant to be spent with your family and changing YOUR world.

Christians!  Come on!  We should be the leaders in fitness!  We are called to care for "the temple of God" and not give ourselves an early grave by not fueling our body with proper nutrition.  It is time to take charge of your own body and shed some pounds.  Look around at the people who need you and all the stuff that is left to be done.  It's time.