The Reason the Giant Sloth Died Out

One of the contributing factors to today's obesity epidemic is a lack of activity in everyone's life. The body was meant to move but we have developed a habit of not moving. We are in a habit of taking the quick and easy way to do any common activity that comes our way. We also choose quick 'n' easy fast food as opposed to fresh homemade meals. Unfortunately, we also teach our children and those around us that it is okay to have these same lazy and careless habits.

I recently stayed in a hotel while on business. I am usually pretty happy to travel and get out of town every now and then. I like seeing what new cities have to offer. I like meeting the people, seeing the local sights, and....eating the local cuisine. I love food and I like to discover new places to eat that serve great food. That just makes my trip!

I decided to get a bite to eat at a little Greek restaurant (real home cooking by Grandma in the back!) I found a couple days earlier that was only a few minutes away by foot. Going through the lobby, I overheard a family I met the day prior talking about eating dinner at the fast-food grease pit right next door to the restaurant I was planning to visit. I asked them if they wanted to tag along. It was only a five minute walk and the drive was your typical "long way around." I thought I might have some company along the way (who wouldn't want to walk on such a beautiful day!) but they rolled their way out the front door to hop in their rental.

For a moment, let me tell you that no member of that family was anywhere even close to starving. I met them the day prior and spoke to the parents for a spell and realized that they were all about convenience, satisfaction, ego, and taking the easy road. The conversation turned to how they got into martial arts to help combat their collective diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a myriad of other lifestyle diseases. Unfortunately, they didn't take any responsiblity to actually work at getting out of their comfort zone and making real change in their lives.

They pretty much ate fast food everyday, drove a gas guzzler everywhere they went, and spoiled the kids with anything their little chubby hearts desired. They weren't exactly the type of folks I normally hang around with in my spare time. Now, I was kind of glad they decided to drive. Dad even had the audacity to say “Race ya!” as he climbed into the rented SUV.

I left the hotel at the same time they did and I walked through the door of my eatery before they even pulled into the parking lot. I walked the whole way so don't think I ran just to beat them because I really didn’t care. He and his wife were lazy jerks and they were slowly killing themselves and their kids with their lifestyle and lack of self-discipline.

It's not even their slovenly lifestyle that got to me. Their attitude was more irritating than anything else. They were stuck up and acted like they owned the world. Typical bourgeois trash. Luckily, I didn't have to interact with them anymore during my stay. This type of attitude and lifestyle, I believe, is becoming more typical and it is hard not to find people that we know getting sucked into it. This is the beginning of a whole life of lifestyle diseases and health problems. It's a pretty rough and useless way to live while waiting for a premature death.

I hope I don't sound too overboard on the subject but it is something I obviously feel pretty strong about. I see so many personal training clients that come through our doors that are ready for a change and just as many, like these folks I just told you about, that don't understand that just a little effort will make huge changes in their lives and the lives of their families.