I'm outing myself, throwing myself at the mercy of the general populous, ready to take the heat for this declaration: I feel sorry for the tobacco industry – and the alcohol industry – and even the fast food industry. How awful it must be to be part of a corporate McDonald's or Jack Daniels. Or worse yet, Philip Morris Incorporated. How would it feel to make money off a product that kills millions. Well, when a company is worth billions, it probably wouldn't care. I actually admire these companies. They're the ultimate con artists. They make money off products that the general public knows is unhealthy. These people are geniuses.
My concern is the growing lack of common sense. Of course if you drink, eat or smoke too much, you're going to die early. That's one of those moments where you have to do, "D'oh!"
Whatever happened to moderation? America is suffering an epidemic of overindulgence that's reached whole new levels. We have become an "all or nothing" nation. We're either addicted or completely abstinent. There's no middle ground anymore. Just look at eating disorder. Currently, the center for Disease Control reports that 32.2 percent of Americans suffer from obesity while, according to the National Eating Disorders Association 11 million Americans suffer from either anorexia or bulimia. America concurrently has high rates for obesity as well as eating disorders. Can you say irony?
Alcohol is probably one of our biggest issues. We all know about alcoholism in this country and the endless fight that Alcoholics Anonymous endures to rid of alcohol dependence. But what about alcohol abuse. Yes, there is a difference. Alcohol dependency is a much deeper psychological condition. My issues is with people who abuse alcohol. Anyone who regularly attends a bar knows whom I'm talking about: the people who don't know when enough i enough. They start out having a single drink with their buddies and end up drunk as a skunk by the end of the night arguing with the bartender, "Come on barkeep, one more for the road?"
I feel like many people don't know personal responsibility anymore. People day in and day out take vows of abstinence. I hear it all the time. Someone consumes too much of something, so they automatically vow to never touch it again.
"I vow to never eat fast food again."
"I vow to never drink alcohol again."
"I vow to never eat sweets again."
"I vow to never play video games or watch TV again."
Many devote to complete abstinence long before it's necessary and wind up experiencing relapse. This is because when people completely abstain from something, they are still allowing it to control them. Quitting something is a lot easier than learning moderation, because moderation requires discipline. And there lies the core of this problem: many people don't know discipline.
Of course it's easy to point fingers at others without ever taking any self-criticism. And I'll admit, I myself am probably considered obese and probably can be deemed a hypocrite. I do have my own addictions and bad habits that need some work. But I am trying to better myself. And as a person who is considered a moderate drinker and a "social" smoker, it's a lot easier to point fingers at others. However, as someone who knows how to moderately drink, I can say that I find myself embarrassed to see so many people at bars that can't hold their liquor, especially the younger people who have just started their crusades as partying 21-year-olds. And, of course, being someone who is able to go months without smoking a single cigarette and still be considered a smoker is a paradox to most.
I'm not going to pretend to know what goes through other people's minds. But I still feel I need to address the lack of moderation I see in others. Many classify themselves as addicts as a course of blame and sympathy. In many cases, it's not addiction; it's a lack of self-control. Too many are looking for scapegoats such as addictions or the companies. I am constantly filled with annoyance as I read another story of someone suing a company for their health problems. We all know the risks and we all know when we consume too much. It's time to start taking responsibility.
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