At least it's getting out and playing

I’m probably one of a handful of people in this region who doesn’t give a crap about Hoopfest. It’s hard for me to see the excitement over what is essentially a commercialized, expanded version of pickup basketball — the kind you use to play as a kid with other bored youth in the neighborhood.

Growing up in a small town, the only outdoor hoops were at the grade school/middle school/high school — metal backboards with chain link nets on sticky, hot asphalt. It was a way to kill time and have fun on a hot summer day or evening.

I never developed much skill in basketball, although I enjoy the sport, especially the college ball. My sole job was to get rebounds — anyway possible, and if that happened when we had the ball, throw the thing back up in the direction of our hoop.

I played in Hoopfest once years ago, although I don’t think it was as much playing as substituting now and then so that others on my team — the real players — could get a quick break. Hey, I got a shirt.

But amid all the hype and commercialization surrounding Spokane’s annual attempt at national glory, there is one thing good to come out of the thousands of people jammed into 45 square blocks downtown. And that is at least those competing are getting out and doing something active.

A lot of people are sitting around these days doing nothing except playing video games on their phones, TVs and laptops. Sitting around getting soft.

With summer finally here, that shouldn’t be happening — especially with our youth. According to an April 2019 report by the Centers for Disease Control, obesity among children and adolescents has tripled since the 1970s. Factors contributing to this include genetics, yes, but also how our bodies change food and oxygen into energy it can use and eating and physical activity behaviors.

Adults aren’t any better. According to the CDC, more than 20 percent of adults nationally are obese.

Not trying to be preachy here, but those statistics point to a lot of problems for our society down the road. Heck, even now.

Obese people are at risk for a number of diseases, including heart diseases and diabetes. I should know because I have the latter and was on my way to the former with high blood pressure.

I was a ticking time bomb. When first diagnosed with both of these in 2008, I was closing in on 350 pounds with a body mass index of 44.9. That’s well into the obese category.

Originally I lost about 35 pounds, but that still left me obese with a BMI of 40.4 – and a smorgasbord of medications to take.

But then, I got lucky. I found someone who cared enough about me to want to defuse the ticking time bomb simply by giving me information, encouragement and participation alongside.

That led to two things. First, learning to manage my diet by looking at what I was putting into my body and adjusting through using better ingredients and portion control.

Second, exercising. I got up and got out — or at least got on, as in on the treadmill.

OK, three things. I ended up marrying the person, Sheila, who cared.

Since then, I’ve lost over 70 more pounds and my BMI is now 31.7 — very close to moving into the overweight category with more to go. I’m now off all my medications and while I will always have diabetes, I manage it through exercise and watching my eating.

I’ve been running 5Ks on the treadmill and at Founder’s Day just over two weeks ago, did it for real. My wife and I are cycling more, and last Sunday paddled around the waters of Medical Lake in our new two-person kayak.

I’m realistically eyeing two more 5Ks this year with bigger plans next season. And all of this because, like those Hoopfesters, I decided to get up and get out and be active.

It’s not easy, but it’s not insurmountable. It just takes a conscious decision to do it, no matter what.

What I’m saying is if a guy like me, a 90-percent desk jockey with terrible menu selections, can do it, anybody can do it. Heck, I might even take up rebounding again.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].