Here is a definition of the word CONVENIENCE: “a quality or situation that makes something easy or useful for someone by reducing the amount of work or time required to do something”.
Human nature is such that we all embrace and strive for convenience in our lives. If we can accomplish our tasks with less time, effort and/or cost, we will opt for that easier path. Amazon and other online retailers have made it much more convenient to obtain the things we otherwise would have to get in our cars, drive and eat up our time to get to a brick and mortar store and then combat crowds of people. With several clicks on our phone or computer we can have these items at our doorstep as quick as the next day.
Let’s take a step back and explore how “Convenience” impacts our health.
- “Convenience stores” such as 7/Elevens allow us to readily pick up a needed item such as batteries or toilet paper, yet we often find ourselves also purchasing a candy bar, Slurpee, slice of pizza (nasty!) and/or other immediate consumption items that add to our waistlines
- It is soooo easy to download a pizza delivery app and with a few clicks, have a hot pizza on it’s way to our house…How “convenient”!
- Driving through a fast food restaurant and picking up dinner is lots more “convenient” than going home after a long day of work and then preparing/cooking a dinner for the family
- Popping a processed frozen meal into the microwave is a very convenient and fast method of having food on the table for a family meal
- Giving our children the video game or IPAD to entertain themselves while we scroll through our own phones is more “convenient” than going outside and running around with them.
There are many other examples of how we turn towards “convenience” in our dietary and exercixe regimens. However, much more often than not, “convenience” in this venue leads to unhealthy/detrimental eating and lifestyle patterns.
This is yet another example how technology makes life easier/more “convenient” for us, yet may lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. The obesity epidemic in the U.S. is getting worse, not better. And not to be a downer as I end this post, but how “Convenient” is it to have to go to doctors, hospitals and spend money on medications to treat the co-morbidities of poor weight control? Take a step back and evaluate YOUR use of “Convenience”.
Convenience makes life EASY….But EASY comes and goes…check out the hair on a 1970 Bobby Goldsboro (I had hair like this in the 70’s also…way too funny)
