Is there a correlation between unhealthy weight and debt?

Yesterday on Dr. OZ (I know, I had decided never to watch him again because I believe he's an alarmist -which makes for compelling TV, but really, have you actually heard the leaps of logic he's made on his show just to make a point? It's like the Monty Python bit on evaluating a woman by her weight to see if she's a witch. If she weighs the same as a duck...but I digress.)

So, yesterday on Dr. Oz, Suze Orman was one of his guests. They were discussing the correlations between excess weight and excess debt. There's a recent study coming out of George Washington University about how much being fat costs America. I was sent a graphic (thanks Jane!) portraying the study's results. You can read about it at Jane's website, DebtManagement,net.

Being at an unhealthy weight doesn't mean you're definitely in debt. Gosh, that's all I need, one more vice someone might heap on to what sort of person they think I am because they see I'm fat. I'm not in debt and I definitely weigh more than I care to. We all know there are plenty of slim folk who have filed for bankruptcy.

Will my life change financially once I reach a healthy weight? Only if I continue to save money for retirement, fill out my emergency cash fund, keep my FICO score up and stay out of debt. I'm a 50-year-old woman who spent her young adult life raising children and supporting my husband's career advancement. I may have been a brilliant asset when I lived overseas, but NONE of my unique skills will get me a job in the middle of the agricultural belt of Central California. I'm an overweight, middle-aged, under-experienced woman who would never even be considered for an internship in modern America. And now there's a study out there that tells potential employers that I'm really not a good choice for even an entry-level position.

Which is why I'm a writer! Thank God for a profession that provides me honor and self-respect plus time for Pilates and the treadmill.

My good friend Eve is the most recent individual who has mentioned I should write a cookbook. She's actually done it, so her input meant something to me. So I think I'm going to do it. I may be posting some recipes here in hopes that you'll want to try them out and get back to me. I'll develop a system for you to answer questions about the recipes and get back to me with your comments. Not ready to tell you what sort of cookbook it'll be, but I'll make sure to fill it with stories and great photos. Don't know how long this is going to take, but since I've decided to do this, yesterday, I already came up with 20 recipes and the title. Next step, the proposal!

So please, share my blog with as many friends as you care to. The more people reading me here, the more who may want to buy my cookbook, and then Mommy can keep affording to pay for Pilates every month!