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I think you are missing the authors point. He's saying that he doesn't care what others do just don't assume his situation is god given. This goes with someth

by pmorici 17y ago

I think you are missing the authors point. He's saying that he doesn't care what others do just don't assume his situation is god given. This goes with something I heard on the radio last week. There was a news segment about how a group was lobbying the American Medical Association (AMA) to classify obesity as a "disability" which would give them free benefits under some government health insurance program. Then they trotted out a sound bite from a poor over weight soul who proclaimed "It isn't my fault I am the way I am". I find it exceptionally hard to believe that that there is anyone who genuinely follows a healthy diet and is reasonably active and still can't maintain a healthy weight. Bringing it back to this article it's like a broke business owner looking at a successful one and saying if only I was born with their smile and sense of charisma I could start a successful company too. When, in reality, it probably came down to persistence and hard work as the separating factor.

KirinDave 17y ago
No, I got his point. He wants credit for spending all his time to be skinny. He doesn't like the idea that maybe hes naturally skinny, he wants credit to be given for the HUGE chunk of his life he's allocated to being skinny. There's some credit. He sure does work hard at it. And then he goes off, like everyone who talks about fitness, on how you could be like them. As if we wanted to. Just spend 6 days a week working out, run on the side, and eat like a tibetan monk. PS, listening to LL Cool J can also help. I will never listen to LL Cool J. That is where I just have to draw the line, so I guess the whole diet isn't for me.
- antifat_troll 17y ago
  And why are you so angry about this? Obviously, the writer has bought heavily into making fitness a lifestyle - and I think he's totally on the wrong track because he has to be so ridiculously disciplined about it. But I think the point worth taking home is more along the lines of: Yes, you can ignore it all and be reassured by a gaggle of paid professionals that you're within the national averages and they'll know how to deal with you when your health fails you. Or you can say, "Most people are unhealthy. I don't want that." The evidence from prehistoric times strongly indicates that this is our actual situation today. And going from that premise, you start making some changes. Maybe they're small ones, or big ones. Maybe LL Cool J plays a role. But the conclusion always involves working a little bit because society has made it hard to be naturally fit and healthy.
  - ThomPete 17y ago
    Probably because the authors point is trivial. Of course if you spend you entire time to be thin by exercising and eating like a bird you will be skinny. That's no challenge when that is what you do. The challenge is to do that, work for 10 hours a day, have time with the kids, sex with the misses, hang out with the friends, see the family and so on. Then it's interesting. But the authors claim is reminiscent to a body building screaming "see me I'm muscular"
    - KirinDave 17y ago
      Thank you for articulating my complaint with this article more clearly than I could.
- pmorici 17y ago
  The article doesn't give the impression to me that he spends that much time working out. He says he started off 5 days a week and later on worked out for 6 days a week 3 of those running and three of those in the gym. He doesn't say how long each session is but he does say he runs for 5 miles or 45 minutes with his Nike+ so You might deduce he spends about 6 hours a week exercising. 6 hours sounds normal to me. From the tone of your comments it sounds more like you are projecting your negative life experiences onto your reading of the article.

by pmorici 17y ago

KirinDave 17y ago

No, I got his point. He wants credit for spending all his time to be skinny. He doesn't like the idea that maybe hes naturally skinny, he wants credit to be given for the HUGE chunk of his life he's allocated to being skinny. There's some credit. He sure does work hard at it. And then he goes off, like everyone who talks about fitness, on how you could be like them. As if we wanted to. Just spend 6 days a week working out, run on the side, and eat like a tibetan monk. PS, listening to LL Cool J can also help. I will never listen to LL Cool J. That is where I just have to draw the line, so I guess the whole diet isn't for me.

antifat_troll 17y ago
And why are you so angry about this? Obviously, the writer has bought heavily into making fitness a lifestyle - and I think he's totally on the wrong track because he has to be so ridiculously disciplined about it. But I think the point worth taking home is more along the lines of: Yes, you can ignore it all and be reassured by a gaggle of paid professionals that you're within the national averages and they'll know how to deal with you when your health fails you. Or you can say, "Most people are unhealthy. I don't want that." The evidence from prehistoric times strongly indicates that this is our actual situation today. And going from that premise, you start making some changes. Maybe they're small ones, or big ones. Maybe LL Cool J plays a role. But the conclusion always involves working a little bit because society has made it hard to be naturally fit and healthy.
- ThomPete 17y ago
  Probably because the authors point is trivial. Of course if you spend you entire time to be thin by exercising and eating like a bird you will be skinny. That's no challenge when that is what you do. The challenge is to do that, work for 10 hours a day, have time with the kids, sex with the misses, hang out with the friends, see the family and so on. Then it's interesting. But the authors claim is reminiscent to a body building screaming "see me I'm muscular"
  - KirinDave 17y ago
    Thank you for articulating my complaint with this article more clearly than I could.
pmorici 17y ago
The article doesn't give the impression to me that he spends that much time working out. He says he started off 5 days a week and later on worked out for 6 days a week 3 of those running and three of those in the gym. He doesn't say how long each session is but he does say he runs for 5 miles or 45 minutes with his Nike+ so You might deduce he spends about 6 hours a week exercising. 6 hours sounds normal to me. From the tone of your comments it sounds more like you are projecting your negative life experiences onto your reading of the article.