Why North America Is Getting Fat





*New baby - 100% dependence.

*Young Child - curiosity, energy and hope.

*Enter School - activity, recess, games go, go, go, the world is fascinating.

*Teen Age Years - peer pressure, smoking, drinking, fast food, cliques, ridiculing peoples differences: the nerds, the fat kids, the outsiders, rebelling against authority, school shootings & bullying, sex, child-birth, forced to grow up, mom & dad split, what is this feeling I am having? depression, the never ending struggle to fit in, fashion, being cool, insecurity, fashion.



College/The Work World



*College - you know everything, studying, partying, drugs, alcohol, stress, the importance of achieving something starts to creep in, escapism, peer pressure, love, sex, std's, pregnancy, insecurity, fast food, parents split up, dad gets fired, fashion, dysfunctions, fitting in, being cool, pressure, you don't really know anything yet, but, you are being herded to make choices, more insecurity, you are making decisions and choices not for yourself, instead because you are seeking approval, why did mommy & daddy split up? was it somehow my fault?



*Work World Instead of College - you know everything, party, drugs, alcohol, stress, the importance of achieving something starts to creep in, escapism, peer pressure, if only I went to college, get rich quick schemes, someday I will go to college, love, sex, std's, pregnancy, I'm a parent, I now have an excuse for not going to college, more pressure, more fast food, parents split up, dad gets fired, fashion, fitting in, radical quick-fix diets, medium is now being called small, being cool, depression, more pressure, you get married, you don't really know anything yet, but, you are being herded to make choices, heart problems, nobody cares about your choices, you are making decisions and choices not for yourself, instead because you are seeking approval, why did mommy & daddy split up? was it somehow my fault? hey mom and dad: I am just like you I am getting a divorce: aren't you proud of me?



*Post College - the world is yours, love, sex, fashion, looking good, a better life, marriage, having children, what? the company closed down? what? the company is downsizing? I'm fired? but I have mouths to feed. smoking, drinking, alcoholism, depression, I want the party to keep going, this is not the way it is supposed to be, radical quick-fix diets, large is now being called small, more stress, more unhealthy choices, keeping up with the Jones, depression, no time for exercise, no time for family, need an SUV, honey - who are you? eat on the run, stress, life is not supposed to be this way, divorce city, don't worry you will get to see daddy every second weekend, daddy dies.



*The Road Continues - what just happened? who do I blame? therapy, counseling, alcohol, substance abuse, I need an escape, I need to blame someone, alcohol, stress, drugs, escapism, pressure, depression, what do you mean I am out of work again? career choice is out of tune with the times, I need to upgrade, stress, bad eating, radical quick fix diets, x-large is now being called small, work longer hours, eat late at night, internet dating, divorce, who's clothes am I wearing? I will work out tomorrow, mom's sick, I need comfort, depression, I will wear sweats just today, who is that person in the mirror, I give up, depression, sweats it is.



*New Baby - 100% dependence and innocence.



*Young Child - curiosity, energy and hope, sweetie when I was a child we had a substance called oil, sweetie we also had these wonderful creatures that flew in the sky called birds, what happened to them? well, we went in pursuit of a better world?



Silence.



Repeat cycle endlessly?



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Lindsay Wincherauk is a Vancouver based author. For more information visit www.seedenterprises.com .