Sunday, November 04, 2007
Stop bothering
I have found that up till one is about 30 one can be fairly insouciant about what one puts into one's mouth. I don't advocate complete disregard of course, childhood obesity is becoming worse in the US (and presumably elsewhere in the developed world). But you don't see doctors telling too many people in their 20's to worry about sodium intake and triglyceride levels. For the most part the metabolism of a younger person takes care of such things.
For example, in my case, I could drink all the beer I wanted till I was about twenty nine w/o putting on an ounce of weight, I was stuck at around 60 kg and a waist-size of 29-30 or so. But a couple years down the line I was a size 32, and in fact "ballooned" to 70+ kg and a pant size of almost 34 by age thirty five. My cholestrol teetered over the 200 mark. Then I became a bit more realistic about what I could eat and drink, cut down on virtually all fried food (including papads) and have been a size 32 since, hovering around the 140-145 lb mark.
Anyhow the point I am trying to make is that at some point most of us start fussing about what we consume, start to exercise etc etc. The intent being to prolong one's life, or rather avoid a premature demise. This could be because we have kids and have attendant responsibilities or because we want to enjoy what life has to offer for longer periods of time or both. For the most part it is not conscious, right? Everyone else you know is watching their weight, working out, so you do it too.
Let us assume then that is is all effective for the most part and that it enables us to have a higher average life expectancy as a result. Now cut to the future. You are say, 70 years old, your kids are settled down, you have grandkids whom you have dandled on your knee and maybe even a great grandkid. You still like sweets and fried food and beer. Should you now let go and start indulging yourself, then? I mean, no one is going to live forever. If you pig out starting at age 70, say, you are likely to cop it in a couple of years as opposed to living to be 77 (which is the average life expectancy for men in the US) but that would be a more enjoyable couple of years than 7 years of self deprivation, would it not?
And it isn't as if people who have maintained a rigorous life style all end up having peaceful deaths in their sleep and don't get some kind of awful disease, the kind you might get from over indulging in fatty foods and icecream!
Just a thought
For example, in my case, I could drink all the beer I wanted till I was about twenty nine w/o putting on an ounce of weight, I was stuck at around 60 kg and a waist-size of 29-30 or so. But a couple years down the line I was a size 32, and in fact "ballooned" to 70+ kg and a pant size of almost 34 by age thirty five. My cholestrol teetered over the 200 mark. Then I became a bit more realistic about what I could eat and drink, cut down on virtually all fried food (including papads) and have been a size 32 since, hovering around the 140-145 lb mark.
Anyhow the point I am trying to make is that at some point most of us start fussing about what we consume, start to exercise etc etc. The intent being to prolong one's life, or rather avoid a premature demise. This could be because we have kids and have attendant responsibilities or because we want to enjoy what life has to offer for longer periods of time or both. For the most part it is not conscious, right? Everyone else you know is watching their weight, working out, so you do it too.
Let us assume then that is is all effective for the most part and that it enables us to have a higher average life expectancy as a result. Now cut to the future. You are say, 70 years old, your kids are settled down, you have grandkids whom you have dandled on your knee and maybe even a great grandkid. You still like sweets and fried food and beer. Should you now let go and start indulging yourself, then? I mean, no one is going to live forever. If you pig out starting at age 70, say, you are likely to cop it in a couple of years as opposed to living to be 77 (which is the average life expectancy for men in the US) but that would be a more enjoyable couple of years than 7 years of self deprivation, would it not?
And it isn't as if people who have maintained a rigorous life style all end up having peaceful deaths in their sleep and don't get some kind of awful disease, the kind you might get from over indulging in fatty foods and icecream!
Just a thought
