sugar for the soul

If you've been watching the news, especially here in the tri-state area, you know about the proposed ban on sugary drinks larger than 16 oz being sold in New York City. I understand Mayor Bloomberg's concerns. Obesity is a huge epidemic in this country, and those gigantic sodas are certainly not helping. Does the government have a right to regulate things for the greater good of the people? Should citizens be allowed to exercise their freedom of choice even to their own harm? It's a text book constitutional debate. If I were a civics teacher, it would make a perfect classroom debate topic.

I don't drink soda much, and whenever I happen to get a drink from a fast food place, I'm usually horrified at the size of my drink and that they actually have the audacity to call it a "small". The ban really would not affect me personally, I would be happy to have a 12 oz soda on the rare occassion that I consume it. Politics aside though, I think we've missed the point completely.

Obesity is a problem, but in my humble opinion, a ban on large soft drinks is not going to fix it.

People already know that sugar in large quantities can lead to obesity, increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and any number of other conditions. We know that it's not healthy to eat fast food everyday, or to super size our drinks. We know that eating right and exercise is the key to a healthy life. There is no shortage of information out there. The problem is, that people don't make decisions based on information or even reason. They do it based on emotion. I read an interesting article a few months back on how this plays out politically. The author, who I believe was some sort of psychologist, said that people actually vote based mostly on their feelings and emotions first, and then later come up with reasons and rational that support those feelings. This is why the reasoning of one party seems completely irrational to the other, because it's actually not about reason at all. It's also why people tend to be concerned more with social issues like abortion and gay marriage than with things like the economy or jobs. Not everyone would agree with this assessment, but it raises an interesting point.

Whenever you hear about drug addicts or alcoholics, you hear the phrase, "they have to WANT to change." No amount of lecturing, pleading, or government regulation is going to do any good, unless the person decides for themselves that they have a problem and want help.

In the United States, we are addicted to instant gratification, to consumption, to the need for material wealth, the pursuit of fame. But all of that is just a way to cover up our own feelings of inadequacies. If we really believed that we were worth it, maybe we would put down that cigarette. If we believed that we were valuable, maybe we wouldn't have to chase money and fame to convince ourselves of our worth. If we believed that we deserved to be healthy and that our bodies were temples, maybe we would think twice about what we put in it.

There is an obesity epidemic. But the bigger problem is the spiritual epidemic. I'm not talking about religion. I'm talking about the part in all of us that we've tried so hard to medicate away, to numb, to avoid, but that is screaming to be free. We know how to nourish our bodies, but we forgot to nourish our souls. Our pain gives us empathy. Our emotions give us passion. Our failures give us lessons. In finding a way to push out the uncomfortable or negative feelings, we miss out on the gift.

I don't have all of the answers. I can not give you a quick fix solution. There is no congressional bill, no amount of money, no scientific research, that will be able to fill in that deficit. The only way is to consistently wake up to ourselves, to peel away the layers, until we don't need those external things to make us feel good in the moment.

We need to tell ourselves and somehow be told over and over again,

You are worth it.

You are valuable.

You are loved.

No amount of sugar can match that. Let's start chasing THAT high, and see if things start to turn around, no ban necessary.