When the honourable minister of finance announced the $8.75 petrol tax, it sent motorists screaming and calling for an immediate rollback. Now that the noise is dying down, we should, as a nation, take this news of the petrol-tax increase and transform it into something healthy.

Just stop for a moment and look around and you will see the size of the belly of some of our men, women and children. The extended belly almost becomes fashionable. This, for the most part, is due to the sedentary lifestyle they live. Gone are the days when children walk five miles to school or church, or adults walk to work.

Lifestyle diseases

With so many lifestyle diseases in our society, we should use the opportunity to put our muscles in motion at every given opportunity. Health-care providers will be quick to point out that walking, for even half an hour daily, is one way of minimising the risk of these diseases. Let us turn the increase in gas price into something positive.

An article in a recent lifestyle magazine pointed to the fact that children are doing injustice to their health when they sit at home, eat junk food and watch TV, or play computer games, without doing any form of exercise. Parents should walk with their children and do less driving for short journeys. Walking will help to nullify some of the effects of the gas-price increase. Let us bring to life the old adage that states if life serves us lemon we should turn it into lemonade.

I am etc.,

PATRICK PANTON