Life Is Like A Roll of Toilet Paper

Up until his retirement, I always enjoyed Andy Rooney’s weekly segment on the CBS show, 60 Minutes. I was rather young when I first heard him say, “Life is like a roll of toilet paper; the closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.” Nevertheless, I tucked it away in my memory. Now, I realize how prophetic this observation was.

In actuality, this maxim can be applied to many things in life – time, money, food, and health are among the many examples. The less you have of something, the more you appreciate it. I cannot count the number of times that I’ve witnessed this phenomenon in my office. When a patient is faced with a serious health condition, they often ask me what else can they do to improve their chances of a quick and full recovery. The most common question is, “Should I lose weight before surgery?”

Of course, whether prior to surgery or any other time in life, quick weight loss seldom yields any benefit – but it can carry some risk. Although everyone should strive for a healthy body weight, I always recommend that patients focus more on adhering to a healthy lifestyle to include a balanced diet, moderate exercise, adequate sleep, and avoidance of risky habits such as tobacco use.

Rather than waiting until a crisis, value your good health while you still have an abundance of it. Perhaps then you can stave off that dreaded cardboard roll.