Driven Women

Addicted drivers

I took a quick break at a Colorado truckstop recently, and it turned into a two-hour debate. In addition to me, three drivers and the truckstop manager engaged in a discussion about what we believed to be the most common addictive substances used by drivers. The discussion continued on the CB. Who knew that addiction was such an addictive topic?

One driver argued drugs and alcohol, another said gambling, and the remaining driver and store manager said porn and sex. There’s no arguing that all of the above have ruled and destroyed many lives, but there’s one substance that most people overlook, or don’t perceive as being a drug at all—food.

As stated on the Web site, http://www.annecollins.com/weight_ health/obesity-rate.htm, about 31%, or about 59 million people, are obese, which is defined as roughly 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight. Almost 65% are either obese or overweight. Americans are gaining one to two pounds a year, says James Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. Hill predicts that, at the current rate, 39% of Americans will be obese by 2008.

Listen on the CB as drivers prepare their assault at the all-you-can-eat buffets. They pile carbs on top of fats, often returning for seconds and thirds. Those same truckers groan all the way to their trucks and either pass out or roll the window down hoping to keep their eyes open until they snap out of it. You could literally have a Thanksgiving meal every day on the road, three times a day.

Although there are no studies to speak of, I wonder how many drivers have found themselves struggling to stay alert after a meal? And how many “asleep at the wheel” accidents were the result of a sugar crash?

Here’s to driving conscious,

GG

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You can e-mail Golden Girl at landrese@aol.com or mail your letter to Pro Trucker Magazine, P.O. Box 549, Roswell, GA 30077-0549.