The Scoop - July 14, 2014
Posted by Michael Frueh
on Jul 18, 2014
77% of Allen County residents are overweight, according to our guest speaker.
David Runk gave the invocation, with Jim Osmon leading us in the 4 Way Test. Phil Haynes was our Sgt.-at-Arms today, keeping throngs of Kiwanis and Optimists from entering our meeting and stealing our secrets. Carl Berger provided fellowship, and perhaps due to a slight misunderstanding about the fund-raising our massage therapists were doing in today’s meeting - decided to quote several Rotarians about sex. This removed any doubt about what is or is not appropriate at a Rotary meeting - so much so that Carl paid a $10 fine up-front.
In yet another bizarre coincidence - Esther shared with us that the earliest Rotarians were immediately known by their stunts - often involving burlesque skits during lunch meetings. It’s nice to know that current Rotarians are every bit as ornery as those in 1916 - we wouldn’t want it any other way.
Matt Otto reported raising over $33,000 in the recent golf outing. Congratulations to all the Rotarians that played, helped during the day, or donated goods and services for the event !!
The club is looking for a copy of the 75th anniversary Rotary book. If you have one, can you please share it with Esther ?
Dave Collins introduced our speaker, Dr. Stephanie Dunkle-Blatter. (I googled it - it's her real name) She performs bariatric surgery at SRMC - and presented an interesting program on weight management. Allen county exceeds many national indicators, but unfortunately does so in our citizens being overweight (77% vs. 66% nationally) Stephanie suggests going online and discovering your Body Mass Index, or BMI. Anything over 25 is considered overweight - so adjust your eating or exercize regiment to stay under 25 BMI. For a BMI over 40 - surgery is often suggested, as diet and exercise alone is often ineffective. There are several surgeries depending upon severity and patient health; however, these procedures are proven to save money overall in the patient’s health, and often prevent serious issues from shortening lifespan. This is a national crisis, as over $147 billion per year is spent on obesity related health issues.