(Source BlackDoctor+org):
I am occasionally asked why I named my radio show “Funerals and Fried Chicken.”
Not long ago, I was surrounded by friends and relatives in the basement of a church, following a funeral, and the food served was fried chicken, mac n’ cheese and assorted cakes, pies and other desert items.
Many of those present were already overweight or obese and had chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension. It struck me as inappropriate (if not rude) that we were gathered in the house of our Lord to honor the deceased, while knowingly poisoning our bodies… perhaps begetting the next funeral.
There are many other socially acceptable behaviors which involve jeopardizing our health. Some seem particularly ridiculous, so I call them Funerals and Fried Chicken Moments.
For example, a scenario discussed on my radio show was doctors and nurses eating burgers and fries in a fast food restaurant that was located IN THE HOSPITAL LOBBY! How can this be? What’s next? Free cigarettes for all patients?
It’s particularly hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle when it seems that everywhere we go, even churches and hospitals, food is being served that only make us fatter and sicker.
Is there a crazy, ridiculous, or even sad Funerals and Fried Chicken Moment that you have experienced? If so, please share it with us. Only by exposing and shedding light on such public health nightmares will we begin to create an environment that is conducive to optimum health for our future generations.
So what can we do?
- Plan your weekend meals – even if the weekend is your time for a “cheat” meal, plan it so that you don’t…… go overboard.
- Form a group – accountability is key when it comes to staying healthy. If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for the people who love you. Find folks in church who also want to live healthy and lose weight and you all will have a better chance of doing it.
- Do the little, it means a lot – it’s the little things that mean the biggest difference. Even if you walk around the church after services will help. Bring healthy snacks to eat on the way to eating lunch so you’ll be more full with good foods.
