I recently attended a fun run which was organized by our church. The turn-out was really phenomenal, if not record breaking. This could be due to the fact that we are known for our unity but it could also be due to the fact that it is an "IN" thing. In fact after the week that we held our “Unity Run” as we called it, two big Fun Run events were again held in Cagayan de Oro. I think that a large part of the popularity lies on the growing health consciousness of the public. People are becoming health conscious because of the high incidence of lifestyle-related ailments such as cancer and heart attack. People are now more concerned about their health as proven by the proliferation of food supplements which is becoming a major economic force despite the warning that it has “No Approved Therapeutic Claim”. However I find it ironic that in tandem with the proliferation of health products is also the mushrooming of big fastfood chains, ready-to-cook products and instant spice mixes which are full of unhealthy ingredients.

Going back to the fun run craze, you will see people immediately going to popular fastfood stores after the activity. Whatever health gains from the activity they participated in is evened-out by the unhealthy food they gourged immediately after the activity.

These incidents make me reflect on how big the responsibility is for the organic movement. If we want to be healthy, we need to eat “healthy food” or organically produced food. Healthy in the sense that what we are putting in our mouth is free from harmful chemicals. Eating organically-produced products should be spearheaded by parents and teachers to influence the younger generation. Of course, producers of this product should try to bring the prices lower because at present, organic products are expensive and can only be afforded generally by the rich. Of course, planting vegetables in our own backyard whether one is living in a rural or urban area should be encouraged because it guarantees the quality of the vegetables served for the family. Schools, Local Government Units and all concerned sectors should advocate for organic production and consumption.

On another note, the fun run craze makes me reflect on how men wanted to become healthy as evidenced by the thousands who join in the said activity. But if you try to invite these same people for religious pursuits like Bible expositions or Bible study, they find reasons not to go. What good is a healthy body if your soul is not healthy? Just a thought for reflection guys.