The headline in the local South Boston newspaper said it all. The population of Halifax County, VA (where my YMCA is located) is 40 percent obese. One out of every five adults smokes. My home state almost leads the nation in physical inactivity. Nearly every chronic disease is either driven or greatly affected by what we put in our mouths and what we do with our bodies. That's why I love the Y. It offers at a very reasonable cost a program of disease prevention and healing through modification of diet and lifestyle. How about this for starters? Eliminate sugary drinks, including juice and sports drinks. This one step alone will boost your health noticeably and significantly. If you want a good life bad enough, it's totally up to you to take control of it.