the blythewood leader

More documents

Recommendations

Info

It seems the Victorian Age is upon us once again. When a TV show such as “The Biggest Loser” becomes a sustained hit and not a one-season wonder, you can be sure obesity is rampant. In an ironic way “The Biggest Loser” glorifies being fat. Nothing new there. In the Victorian age, the ideal body type for a woman was plump, fleshy, and full-figured. We live in The Age of Gargantua. No wonder I see Rubenesque women and men wherever I go. Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish painter famous for his paintings of plump, round women. Were Rubens around today, he’d find plenty of women to pose for paintings. The age of girl watching just isn’t what it used to be. Remember that song, “I’m A Girl Watcher” by the O’Kaysions? Maybe we should rename it “I’m A Girth Watcher.” There was a time when being overweight was a mark of social distinction. To be thin was an admission of being poor, a member of an undesirable social class. Though wafer-thin, anorexic models grab headlines all the time, as a country we get bigger and bigger. No wonder all-you-can-eat buffets are so prevalent. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention uses a weight and height formula to calculate a number called the “body mass index,” and BMI determines adults’ overweight and obesity ranges. (The metrics are slightly different for men and women.) According to the CDC, an adult standing 5”9’ who weighs from 125 to 168 pounds and a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered to have a healthy weight. When we go from 169 pounds to 202 pounds and a BMI of 25 to 29.9 we enter the overweight range. Weigh in at 203 pounds or more with a BMI of 30 or higher and we’re in the land of obesity. West Wateree Auto 2000 Infinity J30 111K miles $5,695* 2005 Chevy Trailblazer 107K miles $7,995* 2004 Ford Ranger $4,295* 2003 Dodge Neon 126K miles $3,695* 2000 Toyota RAV 4 118K miles $4,495* 2001 Honda Civic Ext. cab 163K miles 161K miles Our Changing Times: The Age Of Gargantua $4,495* Tom Poland Columnist tompol@earthlink.net I am no skinny Minnie. I weighed 142 pounds when I graduated from high school. Today, I weigh 193. I have, however, waged a 30-year war against weight gain. Back in the early 1980s, I got into running. I’ve been running ever since. If I weren’t a devoted runner, my waistline would be around 48 inches, and I’d probably weigh in around 220. In short, I’d be Rubenesque. Exercise works. I love exercising but I am in a minority. I hear all kinds of excuses as to why people can’t exercise. And I hear all sorts of rationalizations that try to justify being overweight. Aren’t chubby, roly-poly babies cute? Think again. Those little rolls of fat plaguing babies can slow their ability to crawl and walk according to a recent study the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Some folks attribute obesity to being poor. What is cheaper? Fresh fruit and vegetables in season or cookies, chocolate bars, and soft drinks? I gassed up my car Tuesday at a Sunoco at 11:30 in the morning. Inside, I stood behind a denizen of Gargantua, a massive lady who dominated her surroundings. She plopped down a bag of chips, a bag of pork rinds, a bag of candy, chocolate bars, and a 34-ounce Coca Cola onto the counter. Lunch I suppose. Don’t tell me she bought all that stuff because it’s all she can afford. Most anything in a convenience store costs a premium. So, why are she and many Americans sitting on the air hose and blowing up bigger and bigger each day? A combination of bad habits, bad choices, and laziness combined with some revealing facts. Americans eat more sugar than any other people on earth. We eat more often than any other people on earth, and we do less physical work that any Abbott’s Auto Care & Mini Storage 5x10.........................$50 www.GoPenske.com Truck Rentals 10x10.......................$60 10x20.....................$110 •See Fat, Page 21 Service your vehicle before heading back to school! Complete Auto Care: from oil changes to major repairs! 1630 Highway 1 South Lugoff (803) 1229-1301 Percival Road, Columbia (Just minutes from Elgin) 243-0882 * Plus title, tax and tags. 782-2483 • 782-0893 • • The Blythewood Leader August 12, 2010 Page 17
Embroidery Stitches Plus We Even Embroider Floor Mats! Need t-shirts for School? Give us a call! Unique Gifts Plus a Whole Lot More! www.embroiderystitchesplus.shopping.officelive.com 1232 D Rose Street, Elgin (behind Food Lion) 803-438-0303 Kem R. Smith, CPA Guiding You Through Your Financial Matters Year Round •Business financial and tax assistance-entitychoice, start up, payroll administration, payroll and sales tax returns, accounting, financial compliance reports, planning and training •Tax planning and return preparation- individual and business Kem R. Smith, Certified Public Accountant Business Highlight Sharpe’s Contracting Services Are you looking for a local contractor to assist with all of your outdoor needs? Sharpe’s Contracting Services of Blythewood can assist you with these needs, as well as others. Bill Sharpe, Sr. and Bill Sharpe, Jr. are the owners of Sharpe’s Contracting Services, and between the both of them, they have over fifty years of experience. “I grew up working in this field,” said Sharpe, Jr. “My grandfather, Tom Sharpe, started Blythewood Construction Company back in 1955. Bill Sharpe, Jr. attended Spring Valley High School, but graduated from Ridge View High School after the rezoning. He went on to college at the 158 Langford Road, Suite B Blythewood (803) 786-5200 www.kemsmithcpa.com Page 18 • August 12, 2010 • Left to right: Bill Sharpe, Jr. and Bill Sharpe, Sr. University of South Carolina, and in March of this year, he and his father began Sharpe’s Contracting Services, LLC. “I previously worked as a Sales Rep for Bobcat for seven years & was ready to get back to my roots,” said Sharpe, Jr. Sharpe’s Contracting Services offers land clearing, grading, residential and commercial construction, driveways, drainage, pond maintenance, heavy duty bush hogging, and installation of septic systems. “We’re fully insured and we offer Free Estimates,” Sharpe said. “You can even go to our website and upload a picture of what you would like done or of a problem you’re having. We’ll give you an estimate and/or advice. If it’s something we can’t take care of, we will refer you to someone who can. “You can also ask us about concrete and asphalt,” Sharpe, Jr. continued. “We have a wide range of services available.” Sharpe, Jr. is married to Blythewoodian, Candy Tanner, and the couple is expecting their first child the end of this month. To contact Sharpe’s Contracting Services, call 803-960-4247. Visit the website at www.sharpescontractingservices. com. Blythewood Village Dental Associates Comprehensive Dental Care in a Comfortable Environment. Now Accepting Appointments on Friday afternoons. John C. Cosby, Jr., DMD Patrick T. Kelly, DMD • Advanced Cosmetic Dentistry Accepting • Zoom Bleaching New • Cosmetic Dental Restoration Patients! • State-of-the-Art Facility 745 University Village Dr. (Near Food Lion) 754-9160 The Blythewood Leader
Page 1 and 2: Serving Blythewood, Ridgeway, Winns
Page 3 and 4: BLYTHEWOOD PALMS, NURSERY AND LANDS
Page 5 and 6: •South Carolina Family And Commun
Page 7 and 8: Churches in the community Agape Wor
Page 9 and 10: BLYTHEWOOD AUTO UPHOLSTERY Cars, Bo
Page 11 and 12: make it “count” bengals! good l
Page 13 and 14: Framed and Unframed Carolina Souven
Page 15 and 16: ACCOUNTANTS Kem R. Smith, CPA Finan
Page 17: Television Trivia of the ‘70’s
Page 21 and 22: ©2010 Nationwide Mutual Insurance
Page 23 and 24: •Shoes From Page 13 true if you d

the blythewood leader

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?