SMARTER than a REAL HOUSEWIFE

If you watch a lot of TV, chances are you will have come across REALITY TV shows, like the Real Housewives of...wherever, Jersey Shore, or some other group of dysfunctional shallow fashionistas living their "real" lives. A few years back we suffered through the trials and tribulations of Ozzie and Harriet, and Friends. I could (briefly) look at these shows and identify with the participants even if only in some small way. Today's shows, other than the anatomy, do not elicit any sense of familiarity in me. I say to myself.."Who the Hell are these people?" "Could you possibly be more inane?" Why is "The Situation (a man's nickname)" on TV? "Who watches these shows?" "What do they know that I don't?" I tried to watch an episode or two, lest I judge the way others might, out of PURE ignorance. An hour of this and you want to take a shower. Not a cold one because it was so titillating, but a hot one with lots of soap because it was so...icky.

Why do I bring these shows up? I think that the "dumbing down of America" is more than just a catch phrase. Sure, once in a while you see some kid whose parents are from Mumbai or Taiwan giving the valedictorian address at some high school, but mostly you see "Jay Walking" on the Tonight Show where Jay Leno interviews people on the street and asks them questions that everybody ought to know like "Who is the Vice President?" or "How many people on the Supreme Court?" and you get answers that make you want to go take another shower. If this is the pool from which our future doctors and scientists are going to come, you had better learn to take care of yourself.

In keeping with my premise that within a couple of decades we will be treated by doctors who came to work on a skateboard, taking better care of yourself will be the "ounce of prevention" that will be better than any cure you could receive. Sure, you could live a perfect life, with a perfect diet and still get sick but it is LESS LIKELY. And after all, isn't everything about reducing the risks and improving the odds? So, as I write these posts over the next few weeks, keep in mind that following a few of these recommendations will make it far less likely that you will receive medical care for a life-style induced illness by someone who used to be Snookie back in school.