Hi and thanks for dropping by my blog,

A common saying these days is: “You are what you eat!” Sadly many of us eat too much and in doing so indulge in the wrong kinds of food. As I write about the wildlife on our lake I cannot help but draw a comparison. My conclusion is, that perhaps as humans we could learn healthy living from the birds of the air.

They are programmed to eat certain “foods” which they are capable of catching.

They thrive, grow and remain healthy  and in most cases don’t put on weight.

When I was young in Australia we grew up on ‘meat and three veg’ and a limited amount of sweet foods – usually in the form of homemade deserts and fruit with the occasional lollies or chocolate thrown in. We played in the fresh air in the afternoons after school and on the weekends. We were active. It was the exception for our children to be overweight, not the norm. Eating out in a restaurant was rare and only to celebrate a special occasion.

Then along came Chinese food followed by Indian, Italian, Thai, Mexican and other ethnic foods which we could go to a restaurant and enjoy. Fast foods graduated from the corner hamburger shop to the ever popular chains of McDonald’s, Hungry Jacks, Pizza Hut and a multitude of others. Clubs opened all you can eat buffets. Cooking shows grace our TV screens in prime time. Not all are bad as some demonstrate healthy cooking. But they  jerk on our taste buds, while computers, television tablets and e-readers have made us more sedentary. The result: an overweight population!

However consider the birds below.

These are Noisy Miners. Bub is on the right, Mum on the left. It is a bit hard to spot the food in this sized down version. Mum has been flying about expounding lots of energy to come by that food and this little one also has brothers and sisters. Feeding them all and herself equals a day’s exercise in the gym!  Little chance of weight gain here!

This mother Maggie is feeding a baby of her own size, so she is always on the go.

Here we have twin Channel-Billed Cuckoos being fed by a Pied Currawong. The Channel-Billed Cuckoos fly down from New Guinea each year between the months of August and October. The female Cuckoo is very adept at laying her eggs in the nest of either a Magpie, Currawong or even a Crow who feeds and raises them, while mother Cuckoo flies off to enjoy her holiday. By February or March the babies are strong enough to make the journey back with mum.

Both babies are larger than the Currawong (who, in the photo has her head right inside of the beak of the baby). Goodness only knows what the Currawong thinks of these strange-looking, noisy chicks. How on earth did I give birth to these? I hope he doesn’t eat me! And what a ruckus they make when waiting for food. The pressure must be terrible considering they are not even her chicks. Regardless, she does gets the job done. Then if she has any sense she takes a long vacation herself.

So there you have it – the answer to obesity and overweight. Self control! Eat a sensible diet and exercise regularly. If only it was that easy?

Enjoy your day!

Marilyn