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I'm 58 and have to turn down work (I'm a photographer/producer for over 30 years). Obviously personality and looks can combine for a powerful effect in the hiri

I'm 58 and have to turn down work (I'm a photographer/producer for over 30 years). Obviously personality and looks can combine for a powerful effect in the hiring process. But one thing we do have control over is physical fitness. This comes from a man who does not like exercise, and has a genetic tendency to severe obesity (if family is any indication). Five days a week you will find me sprinting up hills around my neighborhood, using bands and weights for resistant training, and doing breathing exercises. I eat one or two meals a day. I'm lean, toned, and walk with speed, energy and purpose. I'm not exactly good looking, and I can occasionally be socially awkward - but I'm fit, respectful and wear tasteful attire. Personally, I think this gives me a giant advantage in my age cohort where most men waddle around like they are 11 months pregnant and you can hear their breathing from 60 feet away. I hear a lot of guys in this category counting down the days till retirement. I dislike exercise but have practiced fitness training for decades. The physical and mental benefits are well known. I think the impression it makes is off the charts when you present as an older man with discipline and intellect. I have an aunt who is deeply concerned for my health because I'm too small in her opinion (food = love). Yet her son, my cousin (who she considers a strapping example of manhood), just went on SS disability after being a tow truck driver for decades. He just got too fat to do the job. Nobody would hire him - they just see a giant medical liability. We have control over fitness regardless of looks, and it can make a difference.

graderjs 4y ago
This is awesome! Haha
onion2k 4y ago
Personally, I think this gives me a giant advantage in my age cohort where most men waddle around like they are 11 months pregnant and you can hear their breathing from 60 feet away. Of course you do. We all tend to think that we're living the right way (obviously, else we'd change). It's not really possible to evaluate whether you are actually living the right way by looking at things from your own reference frame though. For what it's worth, I'm a bit overweight, I don't exercise much, and yet I don't seem to have trouble finding a job. In my current role I've never met anyone in the company I work for except over video calls. They have no idea what my level of fitness is, or how fat I am, or even how tall I am. Maybe I'd be better off if I went for a run more than three times a year, but I'm unlikely to ever find out.
- pbhjpbhj 4y ago
  >Of course you do. We all tend to think that we're living the right way (obviously, else we'd change).// Do you think so? I'd imagine most people are like me and echo St Paul's position of (paraphrasing) "I do what I wish I didn't and don't do what I wish I did". I guess you're able to always summon the motivation to make for any activity you wish, but I suspect that is very rare.
- peterlvilim 4y ago
  You can easily tell a person’s fitness level just from face
- scarface74 4y ago
  There are plenty of studies showing overweight people are discriminated against.
mikro2nd 4y ago
I find this attitude to be enormously, fatuously ableist. "We have control over fitness" except when we don't. Many people live with restrictive medical conditions that limit or prevent any level of "hard" exercise. Those conditions are certainly not of their choosing, and the underlying implication that those people are "guilty" of a lack of "discipline and intellect" is offensive and deprecating. The unfortunate fact is that such conditions become increasingly likely as we all age, becoming a near certainty for most people as they approach and pass 60. That the parent commenter has evidently managed to avoid (thus far) that sort of misfortune is wonderful for them. But it shouldn't be used to demean or belittle those who have not enjoyed that good fortune.
- marijnz 4y ago
  I think it's fair to assume that gp meant "control over fitness" .. within physical capabilities.
- msrenee 4y ago
  Many people do have conditions that restrict their ability to exercise and stay fit. However, in the US, the vast majority of people in poor physical shape have no such condition except for those caused by being overweight in the first place. He's saying to exercise and eat healthy. He's not saying run a marathon every month.
- daviddever23box 4y ago
  The ability of a person (regardless of age) to manage their physiological or psychological limitations, against their capacity to do good or great things, is demonstrative of their ability to handle more complex situations in an executive or creative context, and is capably reflected in their demeanor on both video and audio interview calls. I'm willing to be convinced otherwise.
- DiggyJohnson 4y ago
  Where did they demean those that weren’t able to stay fit? Not only does that seem like a small subset of people, but they’re obviously not the target of GP’s comment. I see your comment as doing way more assuming. You’re policing the most basic health advice on account that it might not apply to everyone. Obviously.
jseban 4y ago
Yeah it helps to get hired, HR likes it, but the team hates you because they think you are a goody two-shoes who is ruining the party by turning down donuts and beer, and making people feel bad about being unfit. The average IT office is really not a sporty place, and people also really don't like if you dress well either. It makes people feel threatened and annoyed. What people like is for you to be a partner in crime in neglecting your health, having no self control, making self deprecating jokes and join them in unhealthy activities so they can feel less responsible for it. People save their best self for free time and social life, where it actually scores some points, and show their less positive side in the workplace, and that's a bit of an unspoken rule that you're supposed to really relax at work.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- oblio 4y ago
  I don't know where you work/worked, but those were some seriously messed up places.
- DiggyJohnson 4y ago
  I have never encountered such ridiculous jealousy in an American workplace. If anything, I feel like people end up assuming a person is more athletic than they really are, leading to some funny conversations and questions.
867-5309 4y ago
what is the difference between fitness training and exercise?
- plafl 4y ago
  Exercising is doing physical exercise for the sake of it (health). Training involves planification to reach an objective: some personal record, a competition or aesthetic.
JackMorgan 4y ago
There's few other negative responses to your comment, but there's plenty of research linking physical fitness with mental improvement. I recently went from morbidly obese to quite fit and even as a younger person I noticed a significant improvement in my cognitive abilities. I'm just less tired, less foggy, able to think for longer periods of time with less fatigue. It's been quite a nice side benefit. Of course some people are unable to remain fit, but many more simply choose not to prioritize it. I suspect it the vitality you demonstrate helps sell your "brand", and also just helps you to be better than you would be otherwise.
mbrodersen 4y ago
You don’t need to spend a lot of time working out. I highly recommend reading “Body by Science”. It is a big eye opener.
Auracle 4y ago
I’m also a photographer, though I’m in my 30s. I frequently run in to other local photographers at a nearby state park. One in particular is so overweight she can’t crouch down, so she just uses live view and holds the camera as low as she can. I’ve seen another do basically an entire session in the parking lot on a beautiful fall day. It was clear she wouldn’t be up for going on even a mild hike to the prettier locations. I stay in shape with a standing desk snd walking treadmill. Editing photos isn’t exactly mentally taxing so it’s pretty damned easy to do.
cafard 4y ago
> Personally, I think this gives me a giant advantage in my age cohort where most men waddle around like they are 11 months pregnant and you can hear their breathing from 60 feet away. I hear a lot of guys in this category counting down the days till retirement. I guess I'd want to know where you live. Weight has turned into something of a class marker in the modern US. I am 66, I could stand to lose maybe ten pounds, but am not overweight on the BMI scale. I run on the weekend, walk then and otherwise a fair bit. Most of the men in my neighborhood that I suppose to be of roughly my age seem to be in fair condition.
throwaway8486 4y ago
> Personally, I think this gives me a giant advantage in my age cohort where most men waddle around like they are 11 months pregnant and you can hear their breathing from 60 feet away. I hear a lot of guys in this category counting down the days till retirement. Thanks to remote work. I have switched few jobs during covid. WFH interviews are awesome.

graderjs 4y ago

This is awesome! Haha

onion2k 4y ago

Personally, I think this gives me a giant advantage in my age cohort where most men waddle around like they are 11 months pregnant and you can hear their breathing from 60 feet away. Of course you do. We all tend to think that we're living the right way (obviously, else we'd change). It's not really possible to evaluate whether you are actually living the right way by looking at things from your own reference frame though. For what it's worth, I'm a bit overweight, I don't exercise much, and yet I don't seem to have trouble finding a job. In my current role I've never met anyone in the company I work for except over video calls. They have no idea what my level of fitness is, or how fat I am, or even how tall I am. Maybe I'd be better off if I went for a run more than three times a year, but I'm unlikely to ever find out.

pbhjpbhj 4y ago
>Of course you do. We all tend to think that we're living the right way (obviously, else we'd change).// Do you think so? I'd imagine most people are like me and echo St Paul's position of (paraphrasing) "I do what I wish I didn't and don't do what I wish I did". I guess you're able to always summon the motivation to make for any activity you wish, but I suspect that is very rare.
peterlvilim 4y ago
You can easily tell a person’s fitness level just from face
scarface74 4y ago
There are plenty of studies showing overweight people are discriminated against.

mikro2nd 4y ago

I find this attitude to be enormously, fatuously ableist. "We have control over fitness" except when we don't. Many people live with restrictive medical conditions that limit or prevent any level of "hard" exercise. Those conditions are certainly not of their choosing, and the underlying implication that those people are "guilty" of a lack of "discipline and intellect" is offensive and deprecating. The unfortunate fact is that such conditions become increasingly likely as we all age, becoming a near certainty for most people as they approach and pass 60. That the parent commenter has evidently managed to avoid (thus far) that sort of misfortune is wonderful for them. But it shouldn't be used to demean or belittle those who have not enjoyed that good fortune.

marijnz 4y ago
I think it's fair to assume that gp meant "control over fitness" .. within physical capabilities.
msrenee 4y ago
Many people do have conditions that restrict their ability to exercise and stay fit. However, in the US, the vast majority of people in poor physical shape have no such condition except for those caused by being overweight in the first place. He's saying to exercise and eat healthy. He's not saying run a marathon every month.
daviddever23box 4y ago
The ability of a person (regardless of age) to manage their physiological or psychological limitations, against their capacity to do good or great things, is demonstrative of their ability to handle more complex situations in an executive or creative context, and is capably reflected in their demeanor on both video and audio interview calls. I'm willing to be convinced otherwise.
DiggyJohnson 4y ago
Where did they demean those that weren’t able to stay fit? Not only does that seem like a small subset of people, but they’re obviously not the target of GP’s comment. I see your comment as doing way more assuming. You’re policing the most basic health advice on account that it might not apply to everyone. Obviously.

jseban 4y ago

Yeah it helps to get hired, HR likes it, but the team hates you because they think you are a goody two-shoes who is ruining the party by turning down donuts and beer, and making people feel bad about being unfit. The average IT office is really not a sporty place, and people also really don't like if you dress well either. It makes people feel threatened and annoyed. What people like is for you to be a partner in crime in neglecting your health, having no self control, making self deprecating jokes and join them in unhealthy activities so they can feel less responsible for it. People save their best self for free time and social life, where it actually scores some points, and show their less positive side in the workplace, and that's a bit of an unspoken rule that you're supposed to really relax at work.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
oblio 4y ago
I don't know where you work/worked, but those were some seriously messed up places.
DiggyJohnson 4y ago
I have never encountered such ridiculous jealousy in an American workplace. If anything, I feel like people end up assuming a person is more athletic than they really are, leading to some funny conversations and questions.

867-5309 4y ago

what is the difference between fitness training and exercise?

plafl 4y ago
Exercising is doing physical exercise for the sake of it (health). Training involves planification to reach an objective: some personal record, a competition or aesthetic.

JackMorgan 4y ago

There's few other negative responses to your comment, but there's plenty of research linking physical fitness with mental improvement. I recently went from morbidly obese to quite fit and even as a younger person I noticed a significant improvement in my cognitive abilities. I'm just less tired, less foggy, able to think for longer periods of time with less fatigue. It's been quite a nice side benefit. Of course some people are unable to remain fit, but many more simply choose not to prioritize it. I suspect it the vitality you demonstrate helps sell your "brand", and also just helps you to be better than you would be otherwise.

mbrodersen 4y ago

You don’t need to spend a lot of time working out. I highly recommend reading “Body by Science”. It is a big eye opener.

Auracle 4y ago

I’m also a photographer, though I’m in my 30s. I frequently run in to other local photographers at a nearby state park. One in particular is so overweight she can’t crouch down, so she just uses live view and holds the camera as low as she can. I’ve seen another do basically an entire session in the parking lot on a beautiful fall day. It was clear she wouldn’t be up for going on even a mild hike to the prettier locations. I stay in shape with a standing desk snd walking treadmill. Editing photos isn’t exactly mentally taxing so it’s pretty damned easy to do.

cafard 4y ago

> Personally, I think this gives me a giant advantage in my age cohort where most men waddle around like they are 11 months pregnant and you can hear their breathing from 60 feet away. I hear a lot of guys in this category counting down the days till retirement. I guess I'd want to know where you live. Weight has turned into something of a class marker in the modern US. I am 66, I could stand to lose maybe ten pounds, but am not overweight on the BMI scale. I run on the weekend, walk then and otherwise a fair bit. Most of the men in my neighborhood that I suppose to be of roughly my age seem to be in fair condition.

throwaway8486 4y ago