1 Reason and 6 Examples of Why
There comes a point in anything where one hits a “tipping point” where the evidence is overwhelming, and you just can’t suppress your thoughts any longer. Well I have hit that point. What I just saw this morning has “taken me over the top” and I won’t be politically correct anymore. I have had it.
It is no surprise to anyone who has eyes or who can read that obesity is becoming THE health crisis of the 21st century, far surpassing any other issue. It is a well-established issue in developed markets like the USA but also rising fast in developing economies like China. It’s a global issue.
Despite our desires to blame anyone and anything else—and let’s face it, our genes did not change as a society in the past 30 years, and nobody forces us to eat at McDonald’s—we have to all face the facts that is is OUR DAMN FAULT and if we want change it must start by getting the man or woman in front of the mirror to own up to the issue and get off their (very large) ass.
Why are we fat? Well it comes down to one simple word—LAZY.
We are all becoming, or have become, totally lazy. It’s incredible. Embarrassing. What a bunch of slobs we are. It’s the truth. And the truth hurts. And I don’t care to be politically correct anymore. We are slobs. And we are fat. There is no other way to say it. LAZY.
Now this word is painful to swallow. I know this. And I know some people already are pissed and ready to tick off all the reasons they are hard working. I can hear it now.
Save it. Facts are facts. I will give you just 6 fast and simple examples of laziness in our society, and you can judge for yourself. Starting with the one I just saw an hour ago that has taken me over the edge and forced me to run home and type this out on New Year’s Eve.
1. “Walking” the dog?
I just passed a man in my neighborhood out walking the dog. Great activity, right? Well get this, the man was sitting and riding in his GOLF CART and had the dog trotting along on his side! Great for the dog. Not so great for the fat slob driving! Unbelievable. And I bet he told his wife he was going out for some exercise and walking the dog! LAZY.
2. Can we get some real men in the airports please?
I remember a time when men carried things. They carried a bag. It was not only good exercise but also showed some muscle. Some of us even liked to carry things as it gave us a sense of a small workout of sorts! But this is long gone. Go into any airport today and it is a bunch of fat men dragging their feminine little wheelie bags around! I recall when only flight attendants would use those bags! Now EVERYONE is pulling their little bag around, and some are so lazy they even attach their briefcase to the top so they don’t have to carry anything! Just pull your little wussy bag around! My god let’s not have any muscle anymore!
I know what you are thinking, “Screw you, I am a heavy traveller and I have back pain”. Spare me. I fly over 350,000 miles a year. I am turning 50 years old and have had 2 knee surgeries. I carry my bags like a good old fashioned man can and should. Maybe the reason you have back pain is, you are such a pussy you don’t strengthen your muscles anymore? Drop the girlie pull-bag and carry your bags like a real man!
3. One floor? Are you Effing serious?
I work in a new office building on the 11th floor. We share the building with a few call centers, filled with young, 20-something people. Nearly every day as I ride up or ride down, some young, FAT 20 something will get on the elevator and ride DOWN 1 floor! Are you kidding me? And they get an earful from me every time. I don’t let them get off easy.
I recall in College we had an elevator and there was a rule, if anyone got on to ride up 1 floor or ride down 2, we would punch them. Hard. No consequences. I say bring this rule back. What kind of absolute lazy slob waits 5 minutes to ride down an elevator 1 floor? And in your 20′s? Do you have any idea how absolutely disgusting you are going to look at 40? 50? Trust me–if you can’t keep the weight off at 25, it is only going to get alot worse!
4. Just park the car!
Just yesterday I went to the mall. Entered the parking garage. It was total chaos as one person is waiting for a spot to open….when there are open spots only 20 or 30 meters farther away! So let me get this straight? We’ll sit for 5-7 minutes waiting for a spot, when we can park literally 20-30 steps away, a walk of maybe 30 seconds? My god, how lazy can we be? Of course when I saw who was parking, well it was a whale and her little whales. And they wonder why they are obese? And like mother, like son and daughter. Poor kids. They have a crappy role model and are probably destined for a life of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and a host of other issues. Be a good role model–encourage movement mom! Not laziness.
5. Wheelchairs are for those who really need them…..
I remember a time when a wheelchair was a hallowed device. It helped a truly handicapped person become mobile. We treated people in wheelchairs with respect and dignity. We helped them.
This was before everyone with fat ankles decided they needed a wheelchair.
Now you can’t board a plane anymore without waiting for the line of wheelchairs taking the cattle into the plane first. And you see them get out and struggle to board. Did it ever occur to them if they walked a bit more, maybe they could dump the wheelchair? And where is the pride? Jesus I would not be caught dead in a wheelchair. That’s a revered device for people who need it. Not to be abused. And it’s abusing it when you can’t stop eating the Cheetos and then decide you need a wheelchair to move around an airport. Its sad. And worse of all, you guys end up being cheapos and flying economy and squeezing the crap out of the hard-working people like me who are unfortunate to sit next to you. Or worse yet, sweating all over me. Just get up and MOVE and lose the weight!
6. And you call that working out?
If there is any modern-day term that is total crap, it’s “Multi tasking”. This is a word that means, “Do more than one thing, all of them half-assed”. Things have not changed. You still can only do things properly with focus. All these people trying to text and talk at the same time, doing both in a poor and rude way…..
I was in the gym. I see Ms. Floppy Thighs on the recumbent bike. And what is she doing? MULTITASKING. She is sitting there, pedalling at maybe 40 RPMs (target is 80) and reading a novel at the same time.
Lady, put the damn book down! Focus! Maybe your thighs are floppy because you don’t work them? I mean 40 rpms is nothing. Turn up the pace, turn up the intensity, and move it!
I have had it. We are all about “easy”. With our I-phones and our remote controls and our bags with wheels. Why can’t we work anymore? What the hell happened? What’s next? An automatic ass wiper? Because we are too lazy to wipe our own asses? Or we can’t reach beneath all the flab?
It’s simple. We need to find ways to make things a bit more physical. Not harder, but more physical. The body was meant to move. So MOVE IT!
So feeling a little flabby? Know deep down you are fat? Well do something about it. Stop blaming your genes. Stop blaming McDo and Coke and the food industry. Stop kidding yourself with low impact this and that. It takes WORK. Get off the blame game and face facts. Do something! It’s New Years! Make a resolution for once and stick to it! Start with some action. Toss that damn bag with wheels. We all travelled just fine without it. And it feels good to feel those muscles working. And who knows? maybe you will start to feel better, and you won’t have to be ashamed to show some skin on the beach……
Happy New Year. Just make it a new you as well.