What are you gonna do about it?

By Rick Spalding

Our children are getting fatter and fatter, yet our governments are putting fewer and fewer resources into physical education programs at school. When will this descent into obesity, diabetes and ill-health stop? When we take action!

FitnessGear101.com is asking you to demonstrate your outrage at government by taking two minutes out of your day to add your name to an online petition (found at urgulabul.com). Nothing strikes more fear in the heart of a politician than the knowledge that thousands of people are angry enough to spend two minutes typing their names on a keyboard. We will demand the reinstatement of physical education and after-school sports, one two-minute commitment at a time.

Murtha Feldman knows the power of petitions. Hardly a month goes by that she doesn’t spend two minutes exercising her political voice.

“You have to stand up for what you believe in. I do that every time I type my name into an online petition.”

Some of the causes Feldman has passionately petitioned for include the environment (“All that green stuff.”), polar bears (“That little one in Berlin is adorable”), gun control (“Guns are dangerous – duh!”), dangerous dogs (“The mean-looking breeds, with big teeth.”), and nuclear energy (“Bombs are bad, period.”). By devoting a total of 10 minutes over the past year to these political causes, Feldman believes she has radically changed the national and global debates on these issues.

“You can’t just sit back and be passive. Follow the examples of the great leaders, like Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. If you really care about something, you need to take action:  sign your name on an online petition. It only takes two minutes. And it can change the world.”

If fitness enthusiasts across the country come together and spend two minutes putting their names on online petitions, we can show government how serious we are about the health of our children. The campaign is being called “Just two minutes to show how much we care!” Let’s start directing money away from bad things – like war and security – and directing it towards the things we’re really passionate about: a better planet Earth and children that aren’t fat. Every little bit helps, so don’t think changing the world requires altering your lifestyle, sacrificing some of your material excess, or investing time, money and energy into lobbying, protesting, or campaigning for change. No, you can show your profound, heartfelt commitment to a cause in less time than it takes to get a latte at Starbucks.

Show how much you care. Take two minutes and help our children find their waistlines again.