The Power of Health

By Tracy Jackson | VOX Staff

Art by Tracy Jackson | VOX Staff

In Georgia, one out of three teenage guys and one out of five girls are overweight or at risk of being overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 40 percent of us watch an average of three hours of TV after school, but less than half of us get our daily-recommended hour of exercise. As teens, we should make healthier choices so we can live longer and feel better about ourselves.

My Transition to Better Health
Growing up, I watched family members take medication for health-related issues like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes – partly because they didn’t exercise and ate unhealthy foods.

One of the main things I noticed was they ate a lot of pork. In a health book called “The Word on Health and Nutrition” by Janie Wilcoxson, I read that even though pork is tasty – especially barbequed ribs, Italian sausage and bacon – it isn’t that healthy. Pork contains a lot of sodium and bad fats; also, pigs can carry toxins, worms and disease. There are organic meats that do not contain unhealthy substances like harmful pesticides or hormones. But I still decided to give up pork when I was 14.

I thought about becoming a vegetarian. In fact, I tried it for a day and immediately knew I could not live without meat. So I decided to just transition from eating pork to eating more fish, chicken, vegetables, whole grains and fruit.

My family gives me great support. For instance whenever there is a family dinner, my relatives provide me with other choice meats like chicken and turkey. My mother actually stopped eating pork along with me, and my parents do not buy pork, although my dad and siblings still eat pork when they’re not at home.

After not eating pork for three years, I really do not miss it. Ever since I gave it up, I haven’t had as many headaches as I used to. In addition, as I eat healthier and exercise more, I’ve been more focused at school, I have more energy, and I feel much better about myself.

I don’t think everyone should give up pork, but we can all give up unhealthy habits. We can replace chips or candy with delicious grapes, berries or pears. You can even start by substituting sorbet or a fruit popsicle for ice cream.

Garrett Wilson, a junior at Miller Grove High, eats a lot of yogurt and salad. He said he isn’t easily tempted by fattening foods because he counts his calories and knows what they do to his body.

Jamesia Echols, a freshman at Reinhardt College, said it was hard to eat healthy before she started college, but now she has more time to prepare meals of her choice instead of buying fast food.

Eating healthy foods can be more expensive than eating junk food, but you can get more value for your money by being healthy. For instance you can buy a bag of baby carrots for $1 at the grocery store and have them last for a few days. However if you purchase a $1 bag of Cheetos, it will probably only last you a few minutes. Just changing the variety of foods that you buy and eat can make a big difference in your health.

You Better Get Up!
Another way to become healthier is to simply exercise. Almost every teen has been told to “get up and get off the couch.” We think that we are young and we really do not need to exercise. We are wrong. The American Heart Association recommends exercising for 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week. Exercise can help you get in shape, improve your mode, sleep better and even prevent disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Like most teens, I used to spend my time on less active activities like watching TV and using my computer. I decided to start exercising to improve my physical wellbeing. I knew that it was going to be hard to wake up early in the morning to work out when I could be sleeping, but I was pushed to try because I didn’t want to become the modern day Fat Albert.

I made it my goal to find time to work out. I planned the days and times that I would be able to exercise and wrote them on my calendar so I would not forget. And I decided to alternate between walking on the treadmill and lifting weights.

Samantha Solomon a junior at Westlake High said she tries to stay fit by jogging, playing basketball and drinking plenty of water. Whether you walk, swim, dance or play other sports, there are lots of easy ways to exercise.

What Matters
It doesn’t matter what anyone else looks like. My body and my state of health are different from other peoples’ bodies. So is yours. What matters is how you feel and what your goals are.

If teens make the effort to exercise and eat healthy, the obesity rate will decrease. We will become healthier, and if we encourage others to do the same, we may no longer have to worry about the health of our loved ones or ourselves.