Hello!

Since in our (senior)high (or 6th form as britons call it) it is mandatory to take part in Health Education lessons, we were given an assignment: We have to do a report on health generally, and take part in conversations about it. Sounds simple, doesn't it?

So I'm asking you guys to tell me how healthy and fit you are. Please note that I can't just attach 145 pages of "I'm perfectly healthy" comments to my report, so I would appreciate if you had any good theories you'd like to share. Answer to questions like: "Is exercise a good or a bad thing" or "Is depression caused by increased serotonin and dopamine leves in your brain?"

Please write long if possible, since I don't like my teacher and want to give him as much reading as possible..

I like cookies. :cookiemon
(PS. can you include smileys in your essay?)

Quote from axus :

(PS. can you include smileys in your essay?)

Well it's not really an essay, so why not?

Exercise is great- and I don't think you really have to overdo it. Just get out each day, or take up swimming 2/3 times a week.

Sleep well, try to do the things you enjoy- without skating over your responsibilities, keep a positive mind, don't dwell on too much crap, don't take yourself too seriously, keep challenging yourself, eat a ton of vegetables, be nice to your neighbours...

I try to do all of this, and I feel I'm very healthy. I don't smoke and I don't do drugs (anymore), and I feel better than I ever have. I really reckon health is connected to a sense of gratitude for what you have, I try not to take too much for granted.

You know, all good survival skills.

Exercise is good, for obvious reasons, but you also need a good diet to go with it. I myself used to eat a healthy diet, and had lots of exercise. However now I have to stay at home and look after my mother who is ill with cancer, I find myself eating at irregular times and not eating healthy food. I've put on about a stone in 2 years, which makes me 6ft 4inches tall and 14 stone.

I would say my poor diet does have an effect on me, my low points are lower than usual and I have more of a temper. However going through what I have in the last few years has made me a stronger person mentally, so I can make sense of a situation and take the positives from it, so I think I am actually happier now than I was when I was super fit.

So my theory is that mental health is more important than physical health, and if you are strong mentally you can cope with life more easily and learn to tackle depression without exercise.

Quote from hyntty :

Answer to questions like: "Is exercise a good or a bad thing" or "Is depression caused by increased serotonin and dopamine leves in your brain?"

From personal experience of babysitting MDMA and DMT poppers serotonin increase will result in a euphoric state, quite contrary to depression. Extreme concentration will lead to all sorts of trouble including inability to walk, think straight and in many occasions remain conscious or alive. If that happens several times in a row you can permanently get yet another MDMA zombie - not a pleasant sight.

Dopamine on the other hand is mostly where all the fun is. However, it's also the first thing that shrinks will attack when someone goes loco - most psychomedication that's meant to deal with schizophrenia or general psychosis hits dopamine receptors and "numbs" them. And then you get, once more, zombies - "but it's for their own good".

So there, it's all about zombies in the end. And zombies don't need exercise.

I am 33, which is nearly half way towards dead. I don't think you can really consider yourself all that healthy when you're statistically half-way dead.

MDMA is fine if you don't overdo it. Once or twice a year should be enough for anybody. DMT I haven't had much experience with, but I've been quite a fan of the tryptamine family of drugs since I was a teenager. All that's long in the past now though...

Stay in school, kids! :hippy: (eat your spinach)

Quote from thisnameistaken :

I am 33, which is nearly half way towards dead. I don't think you can really consider yourself all that healthy when you're statistically half-way dead.

LMAO... :jawdrop: I'M MORE THAN halfway towards dead! (35)

Many times, when you become older and have a physical job, you are just too darn tired to do any exersize for health. When I was young (high school through mid 20s), I played basketball, softball, volleyball, hockey, etc, etc. I was plenty active. I also ate horribly, like fast food every night, and a lot of it. I was 180 pounds. I got married when I was 25, have a 10-12 hour job, 2 kids, very little money, and very little time. I do get a good home cooked meal every night. I cut out the fast food, but also have no time or energy after working 10-12 hours for playing all the sports I use to, thus have gained XX amount of weight. Ok, I'll say, I'm about 220 give or take.

My father passed away from a heart attack when he was 43. My grandfather had a stroke in his 40's. I believe my great grandfather had a stroke or heart attack in his 40's. Going by statistics, I'm plenty more than Kev's halfway towards dead. I had a complete physical 5 years ago and probably should schedule one again. 5 years ago, they told me I had the heart of a 20 year old. That sounded good to me giving my family history.

There's really no point to my post here. Just that as you get older, you can find less and less time to devote to yourself and your health. Not that I ever actually devoted the time, it's just that I was active and eating horribly when I was young, and now can't find the time to be active, but eat decently.

Surprisingly enough, having a physical job can mean nothing towards exercise. I counted, and through the course of a day, I climb at least 120 flights of 15 step stairs. I don't just hobble up them either, I half run up them. Those 120 flights of stairs climbing does nothing for exercise for me though.

You always sound older than 35. Maybe it's your name, mrogers- which I always think of as Mr Rogers. I'm just going into my 30's now, so if I'm going to call you Mr Rogers, then you should atleast be in your 60s

Quote from thisnameistaken :

I am 33, which is nearly half way towards dead. I don't think you can really consider yourself all that healthy when you're statistically half-way dead.

DONT SCARE ME LIKE THAT!!!!!!!..If 33 is halfway, then.....(starts counting on fingers)...zOMG...call the carpenter...get the tape measure out...start digging a hole.....

Time for a last ciggy before I start writing my Last Will and Testament!!

Jeez Kev...that sort of comment can SCARE peeps (older ones!) to death!

Quote from Electrik Kar :

Stay in school, kids! :hippy: (eat your spinach)

And wear sensible shoes.

Quote from Electrik Kar :

Maybe it's your name, mrogers- which I always think of as Mr Rogers.

Heh... you just made me notice that there's an "r" missing there - I always read it as "mr rogers" as well...

Quote from xaotik :

Heh... you just made me notice that there's an "r" missing there - I always read it as "mr rogers" as well...

There might be a 'r' missing, but the 'D' is definitely there!

Its m roDgers!!!!!!


Dont forget, dyslexic LFS'ers usually end up playing NFS!!!

Quote from Bladerunner :

Dont forget, dyslexic LFS'ers usually end up playing NFS!!!

Holy crap - lfsforum.net - all this time!

Quote from xaotik :

Holy crap - lfsforum.net - all this time!

I always read it as "ffsforum".

Quote from xaotik :

From personal experience of babysitting MDMA and DMT poppers serotonin increase will result in a euphoric state, quite contrary to depression. Extreme concentration will lead to all sorts of trouble including inability to walk, think straight and in many occasions remain conscious or alive. If that happens several times in a row you can permanently get yet another MDMA zombie - not a pleasant sight.

Interesting. This is just the kind of info I need. I´d like to hear more about your experiences.

And for everyone else, I appreciate your efforts. Anything health related will be a big help, so you can keep it coming if you like. This is the kind of thread where you can write almost anything that pops into your mind. And in a few days I'll copy-paste the best parts into my report . Thanks!

What is 'health'. Is it being alive at all (you know, like in third world countries, where they don't know what health is in our way of understanding), or is being able to walk, able to run, able to smile? How do you DEFINE good health? If my grandmother doesn't look pale we might say "you look well", but if I looked as pale as that (not quite white) I'd be rushed to hospital.

The same applies to wellbeing.

I think it is one aspect of human society where financies, education, intelligence mean nothing, age means more, and perception means everything. A millionaire will look ill just as quickly as a chav. A pikey will look well just as quickly as a graduate (ignoring the perriwinkle blue scatter cushions and the suits), and an idiot can have just as many diseases as Stephen Hawking (case in point I suppose - is he well? But he's doing a lot better in some aspect of life than you or I am).

Me? I think I'm healthy. I rarely take days off work (although I had a serious bout of man-flu a couple of months ago, and I was so poorly I could barely drive [which, if you think about it, isn't that ill!]). I'm not a fitness fanatic, but I have good blood pressure, lower resting heart rate, and can be 'active' for longer than most people my age.

Wellbeing? I have no idea. I bumble along in my little world, doing things that interest or excite me, or earning money to pay for them. I [mostly] enjoy my work, which is a bonus. I refuse to work for the sake of earning - I HAVE to enjoy my work, so it's almost an extension of my hobbies. I wake up in the morning and have a positive outlook on life. Cups are half full, and the sky is always likely to get bluer. I don't dwell on bad things, and I rarely expect the worse (although I rarely expect the best either).

Health and Wellbeing is a fantastic topic. Perhaps, when you finish your essay, you could post some of it here again to promote discussion? Unless LFS has just had a patch, in which case don't because it'll be squashed in the excitement.

At 33 you shouldn't be halfway dead actually. I'm 35 and I just calculated my life span. Apparantly I've got 43 years ahead of me.

Of course I could quit smoking, stop drinking alcohol, eat less fat and more fruit, excercise more (although climbing and tennis once a week each is not bad, I suppose).

I could as well, to further increase my life span, stop driving a car, stop changing light bulbs or anything else that's accident prone. I might as well stop leaving the house altogether to minimize my risk of being struck by a brick -- but what kind of life is that?

I`m 33 and according to all reports from this area I`ve got anywhere between 10 and 20 years before I snuff it. I guess the regular smoking, alcohol, puddings, complete lack of exercise, and occasional recreational drugs may shorten that somewhat, but hey, it`s a larf, innit?

Quote from Linsen :

At 33 you shouldn't be halfway dead actually. I'm 35 and I just calculated my life span. Apparantly I've got 43 years ahead of me.

I've grumbled about this before, but at 33 I am well aware that most bits of me don't work like they used to. From the top down:

At the very top, I have visible skin. I used to have thick hair there, and now I have thin hair. Between my eyes I'm developing a strange vertical wrinkle - I've taken to calling it my "mean streak" because it's probably been caused by 15+ years of frowning and sulking. Further down we get to my teeth, which are looking very worn out and sorry these days. Two of them have chunks broken off them but they're not visible so I haven't bothered getting them fixed.

Lungs... Bleh. Can't be good. I'm getting a little paunchy belly where I used to have a perfect six-pack. I feel bloated after eating these days when I used to be able to eat a horse and not feel it (I even won competitions). And my arse emits all manner of noises and stinks a lot more regularly than it used to.

My knees sometimes hurt, and I don't know why. Usually it's just one of them, goes all stiff, looks swollen, has me walking like I've got shrapnel in my leg but goes away in a day or two. My hips sometimes do it too but less often, and yesterday it was my ankle. Legs, overall, clearly rubbish.

I forgot my back. I doubt there's anybody here in their 30s (or even late 20s) who doesn't have back problems. It doesn't bother me all the time, but a day of picking up / catching / throwing 3-year-old nephews always leaves me feeling a bit sore the next day.

As far as I'm aware I don't have any life-threatening illnesses, but as you can see I am a physical wreck already. I can only imagine how rubbish I'll feel in another 33 years.

Very good description of me, Kev

Like I said earlier, I'm 30 pounds overweight, but was told I had the heart of a 20 year old when I went for testing.

Knees, my grandfather had artificial knees ever since I remember. My aunt just had knee surgery. My knees hurt constantly. I can climb all I want, but once I climb up, I'm stuck up there. I can't lower myself onto a ladder from the top of our molding presses at work, or get back on a ladder from the roof of my house if I need to go up there for something. It's quite comical to see me getting back on the ladder from the roof.

Like you Kev, my wife tells me that my hair is getting "really thin" in the back. I don't know why she tells me this because I can't do something about it. She says it though, as if informing me so I will do something.

I can see the years coming on in the face at the eyes. They are called crowsfeet around here, don't know if that's the same elsewhere in the world.

I can't remember what it's called, but it runs in my mother's side. The mis-curvature of the back, I have that. It makes standing to work long hours tough, especially compounded with the bit of gut sticking out from the front.

Like I said earlier, I've counted. I run up and down at least 120 flights of stairs through the course of a 10 or so hour day at work. It use to be daily, but now I have other equipment I run as well, so I'm not up and down the stairs every day. I thought that would help out, but it does nothing for the gut. My legs on the other hand, disregarding the knees, are like steel. At 35, you can still see every ripple of muscle in the legs. At 30 pounds overweight, I can still run long distance every bit as good as when I was 20, aside from the knees. Sprinting is a little different. I "race" the kids out in the yard quite often, usually me running and her on the bicycle. Yes, I can sprint and beat her with her on the bike, she's only 7. But I collapse to the ground afterwards.

So, I'm 35 with bad knees, bad back, thin hair, wrinkles coming out from the eyes, 30 pounds overweight, and can't sprint. But I also have the heart of a 20something, legs of steel, low cholesterol, excellent heartrate, great blood pressure. So, am I healthy? According to that there in the first sentence, I understand why I don't want to get out of bed in the morning. According to the second sentence, I'm as healthy as a 20 year old.

And, actually next week is the annual health and wellness fair. It use to be just a flu shot, but now I can sign up for cholesterol, heartrate, and blood pressure testing as well as other stuff.

EDIT: Ah oh! I have to fast for 12 hours before I do the checkup at work? I can't function without my cereal in the morning, or caffeine!

I dunno what you've been doing to yourself Kev (or possibly the people around you )- but I'm only a couple years your younger and people still tell me I look 20, or teenager years even. Guess I've aged well, but I'm not counting on my luck to hold out forever.

My girlfriend too looks really young, and she's just slightly older than I am.

I've also got a friend, who actually looks younger the older he gets! Maybe he knows something we don't?

Quote from Electrik Kar :

I dunno what you've been doing to yourself Kev (or possibly the people around you )- but I'm only a couple years your younger and people still tell me I look 20, or teenager years even. Guess I've aged well, but I'm not counting on my luck to hold out forever.

Oh I don't really look old, apart from the thinning hair I suppose, but I do feel it. Most people think I'm in my mid-20s. Actually I went to visit my sister on our 30th birthday (I'm a twin) and took the train, and the geezer vended me a "Young Person" ticket. I was pretty stoked about that so I took a photo.

My girlfriend is 26, and people usually think we're the same age. Maybe she looks haggard for her age, but I'm not going to suggest it.

Quote from Electrik Kar :

I dunno what you've been doing to yourself Kev (or possibly the people around you )- but I'm only a couple years your younger and people still tell me I look 20, or teenager years even. Guess I've aged well, but I'm not counting on my luck to hold out forever.

My girlfriend too looks really young, and she's just slightly older than I am.

I've also got a friend, who actually looks younger the older he gets! Maybe he knows something we don't?

It's because you play with computer game textures all day, rather than doing a 'proper days work' like Kev. He's from York. He's not been outside of his coalmine since 1975 (even after they closed it, and blocked the entrance).

Quote from tristancliffe :

It's because you play with computer game textures all day, rather than doing a 'proper days work' like Kev. He's from York. He's not been outside of his coalmine since 1975 (even after they closed it, and blocked the entrance).

Actually I'm from Wakefield, which I don't think ever had any coal mines - it was mostly textile mills and now it's mostly call centres and dole queues. York never had any mines either, it was a market town, now it's a tourist town and smackhead street beggar resort.

You'll have to excuse Tristan - they don't get much of an education in Norfolk because they have to spend all their daylight hours on the farm.