Laziness is a big problem on our campus. As I walk around campus, eat in Talley Student Center or talk to people, I have observed that too many people are lazy, and with this laziness comes obesity.
You might be asking yourself what he means when he says people are lazy. You will find countless elevators throughout our campus; accordingly, it’s these elevators that entice people at N.C. State to become lazy. Elevators are very useful however they should only be used if you have a disability or have to travel between many floors.
The elevators in Talley illustrate my point. There are four floors within the building, the main one being the second. Most every day I sit and watch as healthy people take the elevator from the second to first floor or from the second to the third or fourth floor. This problem does not solely reside in Talley, but also is depicted in other buildings on campus such as Poe. Why is taking the stairs so bad? Unless you have a physical disability, health problem, have to go up or down multiple floors, or you are carrying something, then you should take the stairs.
The most important reason to take the stairs and not be lazy is that America is facing an obesity epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control 61 percent of North Carolina adults are overweight or obese; additionally, 27 percent of North Carolina high school students are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. Nationally, an estimated 30 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 years and older – more than 60 million people – are obese, while 65 percent are considered overweight.
More often when I see people take the elevator down, yes sometimes down a single floor, it is someone who is overweight or obese. These people are the ones who need to change their lifestyles and not be as lazy and take the stairs. Being overweight or obese carries with it significant negative health affects. Such problems include hypertension, dyslipidemia (high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides), type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems and some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon). These health problems resulting from obesity lead to approximately 100,000 deaths annually in America.
One common response to my comments about being lazy and obese is “What I do in my life doesn’t concern you.” I categorically disagree with this statement. The obesity and laziness of America is draining the wallets of every American citizen that prides himself on healthiness and being energetic.
Obesity cost the United States about $75 billion in 2003, and taxpayers footed about half the bill through Medicare and Medicaid programs. Obesity is costing employers something in the range of $4 billion because obese people tend to miss more work than their healthier colleagues. You would not think it, but obese people cause the price of airline tickets to increase. This is because obese people weigh more and cause airplanes to use more fuel on flights. The raise in cost is not contained to the obese, but to everyone who flies.
God gave us two legs so we can use them. It is only when you are not able to use your legs that you truly appreciate them. During my fifth-grade year of school I got a taste of how life would be if I were not able to have the use of my legs. I had both of my legs surgically broken at the same time in order to correct being severely pigeon toed, a problem I had since birth. It wasn’t until after I was confined to a wheelchair for six weeks that I missed being able to walk or go up and down a flight of stairs. For those of us who have two capable legs we should thank God and use them.
Your health affects the way I live my life. It is up to each of us to be as healthy as we can, and more often that means not taking short cuts, such as using the elevators. Now, I am not saying I am perfect and never use an elevator, but more often than not I take the stairs. America is at a crossroads when it comes to our waistlines. We can expand until death or maintain and decrease our weight to add more years to our life. So NCSU, don’t be lazy.
E-mail Matt at [email protected].