Never Suck Again, Paper or Plastic?, New License Plate, Walk to a Healthier You, and more...Get OUTSIDE Recommendations (Nov. 12-14)

Every day, we hear that Americans are becoming more obese; now the number of obese individuals exceeds one in four people. The average American male has gained 17.1 pounds (20.2 in VA) and the average American female has added 15.4 pounds (16.7 in VA) since 1988. Did you know that many businesses base their decision on where to locate based on obesity and smoking rates?

As you head in to the holiday season now is the time to take action. It is inevitable that you'll overeat (and regret it later) but the one thing you can control is your fitness plan. running shoe picture

The organizers of the National College Blue Ridge Marathon & Half Marathon are encouraging the Roanoke community to get active. Their event is six months away (April 16) and to entice you to participate they are offering a 25% discount (use code NOKE at checkout).

Commit yourself now by registering to walk or run the half marathon, or step up to the plate for the full marathon. Either way, six months is the perfect amount of needed training time.

Roanoke offers plenty of walking/running opportunities to keep you on track. Personal and financial accountability are the keys to success. Studies show that people who register and pay for an event alongside a friend are much more likely to stick to the plan and ultimately reach their goal. So grab a friend this weekend and register for a few events together.

Star City Half Marathon - 11/20
StellarOne Drumstick Dash (5K run or walk) - 11/25
Jingle Bell Run/Walk (5K run or walk) - 12/11
Frozen Toe 10K - 1/8
Explore Your Limits (5 & 10K) - 3/5
Komen Race for the Cure (1 mile walk & 5K) - 4/9
Form a team to walk the National College Blue Ridge Half Marathon - 4/16
Run America's Toughest Road Marathon, the National College Blue Ridge Marathon - 4/16
Physicians on Foot - every Saturday
Even more running events

Need more help? The folks at Fleet Feet Sports can help you. They are passionate about running and will answer all your questions. They even have a No Boundaries program designed for beginner walkers and runners hoping to compete in their first 5K.

Paper or Plastic?

That's the question you typically hear every time you go to the grocery store. Slowly the question is evolving into "Paper, plastic, or Did you Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB)?"

Single-use plastic bags (the type you get in grocery stores and most retail shops) are taking a toll on our environment. Plastics take hundreds of years to break down and most types never truly biodegrade. As a result bags litter the streets and streams, and animals often get entangled in the debris or mistake it for food.

Around 100 billion petroleum-based plastic bags are used each year in the United States, requiring an estimated 12 million barrels of oil each year. Sadly, less than 5% of these bags are recycled each year and cities, counties, and non-profit organizations must pay millions of dollars each year to clean up plastic litter.

And it is arguable if paper is much better. Paper bags use as much or more oil in their manufacture and distribution and they use about 15 times more fresh water to produce. Unlike plastic bags which remain inert, paper bags produce methane gas which is a much worse "greenhouse gas" than carbon dioxide.

People can debate plastic versus paper until the cows come home but it is hard to argue the fact that using your own reusable cloth bag is clearly the best solution.

A few U.S. cities have plastic bag bans and/or fees in place, but most do not. What do you think?

The Clean Valley Council wants to know if Roanoke is ready to take action. They have a lively Facebook discussion going on and would love to hear your comments. If you don't use Facebook you can email your comments directly to them.