Slave to the Vehicle (296 hits)
Category: GeneralRating: 1.33 on 3 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Vieri <phyx.at.beer.com> (View user info) at 2004-08-17 05:40:28 EDT
Americans are fat. Everyone knows that a majority of Americans are overweight, including people around the world. As Americans, we probably have the absolute worst public image in the world.
I recently moved to Italy and contrary to popular belief, the majority of Italians are not huge fatass, pasta-eating monsters as the typical stereotype and your favorite New York gangster movie would have you believe. I would even go as far to say that 95% of Italians are thin and athletic.
See I have an enormous problem with the Atkin's diet, the South Beach diet or whatever other alias you want to call it. It's the phenomenon of "Low-Carbs", which is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. Apparently when you are born an American and you've contracted "stupid", you become susceptible to all sorts of other ailments: Gullibility, impulse buying, and complete loss of self-trust. Some jackass on television tells you that this particular machine he is selling will make a single cup of juice from 25 apples, costs $95, make you live five minutes longer and will enhance your life. So you pick up your phone while you're watching television at 3am, smoking an entire pack of cigarettes at one sitting, inhaling Doritos and Oreos as fast as you can get your cigarette out of the way and washing it all down with a 12 pack of Milwaukee's Best.
Complete stupidity.
Our lifestyle is completely shot. How can you possibly believe that eating a different diet without changing your physical activity can alter your health? Sure, you may lose 10 pounds of water weight that is stored between your rolls, but how is that going to make you any healthier?
I know people that drive their cars one block to the end of the street to go to the store. What are they buying? Usually they're buying cigarettes.
Now, I'm not going to be a hypocrite, because I smoke on a regular basis, but at least I haven't succumbed to the idiocy that is the "easy health lifestyle" nor have I become so lazy that I can't walk to the store. I exercise five days a week, which is required by my job, but if you seriously want to become a healthier person, just cut out your car from the picture every time you can.
People have become the slave to the vehicle.
Going back to the Italians, I have seen some people that would scare most individuals in the States. Geriatrics riding bicycles with calf muscles larger than Michael Vick and peddling their way up a two kilometer, five degree incline hill with ease. People walk or bike *everywhere*. Yes, things are closer together here, but in a majority of towns and cities in the States, there are areas that people circumvent because they would rather drive instead of "waste those precious calories" walking.
I'm probably preaching to the choir, as most people that read this site could most likely smell bullshit from a mile away, although I absolutely cannot stand diets. Have people completely forgotten about the "Low-Fat" diet that existed 10 years ago? Next they're going to tell us that smoking increases your metabolism, so maybe it's not as bad as they've been trying to convince us and you should smoke a pack per day to lose weight. I wouldn't be surprised if we actually would see an increase in smoking.
Please don't give into this fake bullshit that Atkins, or any other money-mongering person out there wants to feed you. It's not worth it.
User Reviews
Submitted by daveytaylor (user info) at 2004-08-17 06:25:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Well said. Eating sensibly and regular exercise... All the information you need.
Submitted by sparkle_pink (user info) at 2004-08-17 05:55:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I hate the stupid Atkins diet. I can't wait till it dies.
Submitted by GodChicken (user info) at 2004-08-17 05:53:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I subscribe to the theory of eating whatever I want, however much I want. See-food type of diet.
I also exercise constantly because I want to continue to be able to eat that way.