Motivation to lose weight - To nag or not to nag?

Over the years as we age we may look like our pet or we may look like our mate, Over time we lose muscle tone, our bodies bend, thin or overweight we increase our fat tissue and often lose our muscle tissue. In my marriage, I have gone to seed and Barb still looks great.

I was reading an article from the LA Times published two days ago, Instead of nagging your spouse to lose weight, try going on a diet yourself by Karen Kaplan. I followed as well the research behind the article which is fun to do. To get my mind back into the study of statistics, research; I can almost see my brain cells rerouting new connections. Where did I put my glasses?

One of the best examples of a nagging couple is the Lockhorns. They are brilliant in their ribs at each other and somewhere we all find common ground with them. They succeed in the funny papers because both nag. Nagging in marriage isn’t always successful. 

From Proverbs

15:17 “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.”

21:9 “It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.” In Application a “quarrelsome husband” would fit too.

With married couples if one partner is obese or overweight 37% of the time the other is also obese. With the Lockhorns, Leroy and Loretta seem to mirror each other which is part of their charm. Antidotal examples like the Lockhorns or even a stats is not absolute truth. Couples come in all shapes and sizes. When weight becomes a problem in our health there are times when change is needed, but is hard to motivate the other. One of the best ways is to create positive change is to lead by example. 

Motivating our loved one to a healthier outcome is at the heart of the article. Ah, in marriage the lovely art of nagging, often it is tried and so little succeeds. Probably the best way to look at is true the funny pages. The Lockhorns come to mind.

In this study the spouses wanting to encourage a healthier diet were encouraged to enter a weight-watcher program themselves or given a handout  with information of diet and exercise. Those who entered weight-watcher lose 9.5 lbs. or 4.5% of their body weight and those who had handout loss 7 lbs. or 3.2% of their body weight. A loss of 3% of our body weight brings positive health change. 

What about their spouses? They on average loss 5 lbs. from the weight-watcher group and 4 lbs from the hand out group. That roughly calculated to 2.09% of their body weight. There were 32% of non-dieting parters achieved body mass drops by 3% benefiting from the weight loss in their health.

The participants, the dieters received $100 dollars for completing the study. A nice little behavioral motivation that had to affect the outcome. 

Leading by example rather than nagging would seem to be a better strategy. But I wonder from this study if paying people to lose weight wouldn't be a better strategy. Keep walking

A life well lived, Billy Graham, he touched my life

Billy Graham 1918-2018

Imagine living 99 years and surviving 70+ years in public life with purpose, character and reputation still in tack, just about unheard of today. We tear down people faster than Ford can push cars off the assembly. Yet a life well lived is a Billy Graham.
Born the year WWI ended and the flu epidemic killed more people then any plague of the middle ages. The model T, the depression, WWII, radio, TV, the atomic age, civil rights, presidents, world-wide impact of a preacher who learned his trade literally in cow pastors. He knew people who lived through our civil war.
He made a difference in millions of lives throughout the world. Using sports stadiums, TV, books and movies he communicated the gospel in our post World War II world. He helped people in the church and outside the church know the importance of Christ life in works and word reveal Him to be Savior and God: who died on the cross, was raised from the dead, appeared to over 500 before ascending into heaven. This Jesus was Christ and Lord who died for the world for anyone who put their faith in Him as Savior and God would be forgiven, saved and given eternal life.
In Graham's words, "I have one message: that Jesus Christ came, he died on a cross, he rose again, and he asked us to repent of our sins and receive him by faith as Lord and Savior, and if we do, we have forgiveness of all of our sins." —Billy Graham
The good news was his purpose that he pretty much stayed on target all of his life.
I read a book, Nearing Home  he wrote at the age of 94 where he talked about aging and trusting God. The challenges of walking with God increase as we age and are quite different then when we are younger. Aging is not for the timid. He shared both his grief and hope with the loss of his Ruth. He looked forward to his death and being with Christ and those who had gone before. In the next 5 years his body was more restricted to elderly care, he still reached out to people on the internet. He had contact with world leaders including President Obama. He had the ministry of prayer and his children and grand-children ministered to him.
Billy Graham learned from his mistakes and like every believer we learn from our sins. He learned from President Eisenhower to keep his confidences with those on the world stage. He was disappointed in Nixon, but he still ministered to the fallen president. He fostered public accountability in ministry when many fell into the trap of fame and celebrity. His ministry became more global and supported care for the poor and downtrodden.
I admire his care of his family and helped his kids grow in Christ. As I age I understand how important faith developed in family is.

Aunt Anita (Reeves) Williams

When he pastored a church in Wheaton my Aunt Anita attended the church. My Aunt was born in 1923. Anita served in the US Navy in WWII. She would become a mother of 8 and quite a successful business woman. A pretty lady don't you think.
Billy Graham gave a message in 1966 that I listened to at the age of 14. I year or two earlier I watched The King of Kings staring Jeffery Hunter. In high school, a friend Judy Gwenda Cronk shared the gospel with me. When I was 19 on a visit to Michigan State a fellow shared the gospel and a tract as I was making my way to a party. Three weeks later doing my laundry in my grandmother's kitchen I took out the tract and it all came together for me as I trusted Christ as my Savior. That message Graham gave helped me at that time.
A message given in the 60's spoke to my mother and she trusted Christ. She told me about that in the 80's.
It has been my privilege to share the gospel on 4 continents. I regret in our culture the good news is restricted and censured in the work place and public discourse. There is an increasing darkness that has blinded way to many people. I think that is one of the reasons I like retirement, I can just be myself and share the most important truth to people today.
Read what Jesus said and did (35+ miracles) to reveal He is Savior and God who died for our sins that we might believe and have everlasting life.
Thanks Billy Graham for a life well lived.