Viewer Mail. Subtitle: That depends on what your definition of average is.

by

(subsubtitle: I know. Im a mo-ron. I didnt post my twitter namething. it’s carlabirnberg. if I cant get *that* right can I twitter properly? only time will tell)

Hi Miz. Ive been reading for a while and had a question for you that I dont think youve answered. I think Im average when it comes to my cardio fitness. Or that’s what Id say I am. And then I think that if Im even working out that maybe Im better than average (yay!!). how on earth would I tell this? Thanks!!

My first reaction to this email was *precisely* the emailer’s own reaction:

In todays world, where it has been projected that 73% of Americans will be obese by the end of 2008 (!) what is average anyway?

I was at the grocery store last week and overheard a conversation between two people which, essentially, went like this:

one person asked the other to describe a woman she’d never met.

The first woman described the friend as ‘average.’ & then paused, thought for a moment and clarified by saying: SHE’S AMERICAN AVERAGE.

American average.

A phrase which I, and obviously the other woman as I saw her nod in understanding, took to mean a little overweight.

Sad—but that’s a post for a different day.

The short version of the answer, emailer? Take a cardiovascular test such as this one. It’s fairly simple to do at home and the norms are listed on that page as well.

More intriguing to me is what my doctor boyfriend (known to others as Dr. Mehmet Oz) has to say on the subject.

Dr.Oz’s suggestion for an easy way to determine whether you are in ‘fine’ or average shape? Run up two flights of stairs or walk six blocks.

(go ahead. we’ll wait.)

Did you experience extreme shortness of breath? were you compelled to stop? You’re below average. Your heart and lungs need some work.

Simple. Easy. Blunt. That’s why we love the Mehmet.

He also clarifies that, while this test is important, it’s almost MORE important to note a sudden change in this or spontaneous drop in your fitness level. That could indicate a health issue.

So there’s the answer: an at home test with norms (there are many others as well) & the Mehmet more pass/fail type exam.

Now my question:

have we kind of given up?

have we gone so far into the notion of perfect not being important and that it’s ok to be less than our best & we need to love ourselves regardless that we’ve swung too far into deconditioned is the new black territory?

Im not sure.

I guess if by ‘average’ we truly mean plain ole sufficient or lacking in distinction then perhaps we havent. As the ability to walk six blocks without experiencing extreme shortness of breath is precisely that. Sufficient.

Or do you think we have given up?

Are you of the opinion that we’ve lowered the bar of acceptable so far that it’s pretty much resting on the couch next to us as we snack and watch people with odd hair attempt to sell expensive homes?

Im not sure that, if we’re not there already, we arent edging perilously close.

Bumbling Band? Thoughts? Insights? I *know* you have an opinion.

And speaking of opinions…

This next snippet is less an email & more of a THANK YOU to all of you.

The message was longer but this sentence (in reference to a Viewer Mail where her question was addressed) gave me chills and I wanted to pass it along.

I feel empowered. Armoured by the bumbling band.

People email me often saying, essentially, I have stuff to say but I dont comment because Im embarrassed I might sound stupid.

Dont be.

I adore that the emailer felt armored by your advice & encouragement.

If you’re ever tempted not to leave a comment—please to reflect upon that. You never know whose life you might change with your quickfasttyped sentence or 3.

Now get to it…

POSTS BY EMAIL

Never miss a post. Enter your email to get my latest posts delivered to your inbox.

Comments

  1. “have we gone so far into the notion of perfect not being important and that it’s ok to be less than our best & we need to love ourselves regardless that we’ve swung too far into deconditioned is the new black territory?”

    If we truly loved ourselves, this stuff wouldn’t even be an issue. Address the mind, and the body will follow.

    TA x

  2. That’s so strange, I was just browsing google yesterday trying to find a test if any to establish my level of cardio fitness, ie was I average, above average, etc. Normally in circumstances where we can be measured we automatically compare ourselves with our peers, but in terms of exercise/fitness in today’s society, “average” is really hard to figure out! My friends at work just don’t. Full stop. They don’t exercise. Unless you count walking, occasionally, as exercise. But the people I train with, are all faster, stronger, more flexible, and generally better than me. Well in my head they are anyway. So how do we know what’s normal anymore?!

    Wow I am really on a ranting rampage this morning!! :o)


  3. you KNOW I 100% agree, TA. If only I could recall WHERE I read it but a blogger is currently amazed (happily) at how her weight is melting off (and, Id assume since she’s exercising, her fitness level is increasing) and from simply reading her posts it’s clear her self love is *skyrocketing.*

    yep. 2 words:
    inextricably tied.

    (TA’s last post? beyond words, People. not read it? clickclickclick.)

    Shivers? I thought the same thing. (uh about norms with regards to exercise…not your training partners 🙂 poor sentence structure.)

    Miz.

  4. You know, when I moved to Ireland, the number of obese people around me increased dramatically from when I was in Montreal. (Montreal is a city of designer fashions and cigarettes – nobody is fat in Montreal)

    Yet it was in Ireland that I was finally able to do something about my weight once and for all. Maybe because I was more average. Maybe because I didn’t feel like a total freak, I just wanted to be healthier. (Ok, and they still didn’t make clothes in my size, but whatever)

  5. Unfortunately I think that Australian Average is very similar to American Average. There is no doubt we are sliding down a very slippery slope, and if things continue the way they are, our current health care systems will not be able to cope with the weight/obesity related illnesses over the next decade or so.

    Western governments won’t take any serious ownership, or steps to address this, other than lip service. Then, should they, isn’t it just about personal accountability?

    Agree on the self-love thing above, my own self-confidence, self-image is 100% more positive than 5 years ago, but I’ve never thought about it that way round (ie increase your self-love which would then cause you to look after yourself) – how would you do that? For me it was an effect, not a cause if you know what I mean. In some ways I think that there has to be a certain amount of healthy self-loathing (is there such a thing?) to trigger the change.

  6. interesting comment AJH about healthy self-loathing.

    I’m not certain what I think about that.

    I tend to agree (I wrote a guest post for another blog which is running soon that touches upon this) in that when I gained my freshwoman fifteen (and a few other people’s as well…) I wasn’t motivated to change for a while.

    I merely unbuttoned my pants, wore shirts which masked that fact and went merrily on my eating drinking and, well, being MERRY way.

    It was only after a while of that I became motivated to change and, whether one would call it ‘healthy self-loathing’ or not, I simply couldn’t fit into any of my interview suits and I LOVED those suits.

    Great comment.

    M.

  7. I was severely overweight for 25 years of my life, and for all of that time never really thought I had a problem. You can call it denial, but it was concious denial, I really thought I was fine. If I knew how much better I would feel (like I do now) then, I would have done something earlier.

  8. I think I’m misreading something. (We’ll pretend it’s the first and only time.) To me, someone’s physical appearance, as in “American Average”, wouldn’t necessarily correlate to their cardio fitness. Plenty of folks don’t look like marathon runners, but they could ace a cardio test. I’m not one of them, mind you, but still. 🙂

    Maybe what we’re seeing now is more focus on the internal numbers and less on what the body looks like? At times that was (is) the only thing that got me into the gym. Or out of the dressing room at {insert store name here}. I have to tell myself that it’s the numbers measuring the internal stuff (heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.) that mattered most.

    Oh, is this me, off on a tangent? Ahem. To the reader’s original question, somewhere around this place, I have my last fitness assessment. It seems to me there was a chart included that indicated below average, average, above, etc. I’ll see if I can locate it and if so, will be happy to share.

    (sekret note to MF: will be in touch via email. Count on Friday p.m. Yaay!)

  9. cammy we’d love that (both the cardio test as there are so many out there & friday if it works).

    You make a GOOD point & one for which I was hoping.

    The example to which most people can easily ‘relate’ (envision I think is more the word for which my thumbs are searching) is when Oprah ran her marathon.

    In order to finish that (no matter time) she’s far more cardiovascular fit than I.

    Far.

    But, at the same time, she didn’t look like what immediately pops to mind when we think marathon runner *and* would totally have aced a cardio test.

    Miz.

  10. Ya know what? I just don’t care where I fall on the scale of averages. What matters to me is that after walking through the back door of hell, I finally turned around and kicked it closed so the flames would stop licking at me. Yes, I am overweight and underfit. But I come here every day for a course in cardio cheer camp, get my kids off to school, and hit the gym. I promise you, people who are lurking the blog afraid to comment, that simply joining in is a big step. A few more steps and you can call it exercise. And my husband even commented that I look thinner (and I’ll have to take his word for it because I stashed the scale).

  11. I think wondering if one is “average” or above or below is similar to asking “Do these pants make my butt look big.”

    What difference does it make? I mean that.

    We go through life comparing ourselves and being compared to other people, and that sets many of us up for failure. For instance, in PE kids have to run the mile. My boy has a meltdown about halfway through because he KNOWS he is going to finish last by comparing himself to everyone else. It doesn’t matter that it isn’t a race. The skinny fast kids start and end running which makes kids like Hugh feel terrible. He’s not built for speed, and he hates running. Plus he can’t wrap his brain around the idea that it’s about HIS own time and doing better than last time.

    What will you do when you feel that you are doing the best you can to become better, healthier, more fit and then take a test to find that your best at this moment is below average nationally. Some folks will fold, others will let that motivate them. Isn’t it more important to measure by progress, feeling good, seeing muscles, losing weight, conquering the elliptical, etc? *I’m at “this is my battle, and I don’t give a rats patootie how I measure up. I’ve been measuring up and found lacking for far too long as it is.*

    Re: Have we let ourselves go?

    Some folks have. It’s too much like work to get healthy. My BFF is obese – could lose 100 lbs and be in good shape. She describes herself as average. WTF? She was using single sites to find a man and described herself as average – I have to believe that man’s assessment of “average” does not equal a size 22, so she was sabotaging her dating efforts from the beginning. Ironically, she has found a man who is bean pole thin – they get along great and he doesn’t appear to mind her “few extra pounds.”

    If the path of least resistance is denial, I think most who are obese will choose to walk that path. There are no elliptical trainers on the path of least resistance.

    Did I go off on a tangent? I’m just shooting from the hip here.
    linda

  12. First off, I love the link to million dollar listing. That show is ridiculous, as are the real estate agents on it. Did you see the one episode where the one realtor was going to vegas? He puts every single item from his bathroom in an individual plastic bag, what a wack. Any who…

    This is a tough topic and I think I have erased and re-written my response 5 times. Plain and simple- yes, we should accept ourselves for who we are. We can’t all be supermodels, its just not in the cards. BUT, I do not think we should let that acceptance allow us to slip far beyond the level of our own “best”. Exercise and eat well for you, your mental well being, for your HEALTH!

  13. good
    better
    best
    never let it rest
    until your good is better
    and your better is best

    I printed that out and hung it on my desk a few weeks ago. I want to be the best that I can be, whether its what others would call “American Average” or not. I will always be a chubber at heart. And now, while I am at my healthiest (inside numbers and outside) my body has turned rouge on me. I am probably one of the healthiest people I know in the real world (not the blog world) as I eat well, exercise, try to take care of myself. Personally, I have given up on being a skinny person.

  14. About the “have we let ourselves go?” I’d say that as a society, we have. I’ve worked with people who told me that the only reason I was in such good shape was that I hadn’t had a child, and because I was 20. At the time, I was also swimming 2 miles a day 4-6 days a week, in addition to yoga 3 times a week.

    It seems not to be an issue of self-love, but one of feeling good about ourselves replacing self-love. It seems like anything that makes us feel good about ourselves (that new pair of jeans a size lower than we used to wear) is broadcasted, while things that upset us (coworkers spreading rumors of crash dieting or an eating disorder because that smaller size makes them feel bad about their size) are kept inside, chipping away at the self-confidence and self-love.

    I think that people need to be able to accept the fact that it is possible to love someone and be disappointed in them at the same time (parents?), so it’s possible to love yourself and be disappointed in it at the same time. The disappointment and feeling of letting yourself down should be a catalyst for changing the disappointing behavior.

  15. amazing thoughts/comments.

    I kind of more assumed people would get their hackles up (waves at bullmastiff with amazinglythickhackles) at my assertion that we’ve lowered the bar too far—–but the day is still young.

    and even I go back & forth with that.

    I dont with these. totally agree.:

    I just don’t care where I fall on the scale of averages.

    I’m at “this is my battle, and I don’t give a rats patootie how I measure up.

    I do not think we should let that acceptance allow us to slip far beyond the level of our own “best”.

    I want to be the best that I can be, whether its what others would call “American Average” or not.

    it’s possible to love yourself and be disappointed in it at the same time.

    powerful. powerful. POWERFUL stuff.

    Miz.

  16. I agree that it’s a personal journey…and you’ll never get anywhere comparing yourself to others. But who wants to be average? I don’t. I don’t need to be perfect, but like many say I want to be my best.

    And, about feeling empowered? There’s power in numbers AND education (fitness and life stuff, compliments of MizFit). 🙂

  17. This reminds me of that old joke: If you want to look thin, have fat friends.

    Sure, it’s easy to feel virtuous and fit if you compare yourself to obese couch potatoes.

    Conversely, it’s easy to feel not quite so virtuous if you compare yourself to someone like Dara Torres or Michael Phelps.

    Most of the time I compare myself to myself, keeping an emphasis on what my body can do as opposed to what it looks like. When I do that, the looks take care of themselves.

    However, I think it’s also a good idea to surround yourself with people who raise the fitness bar. Healthy competition to make us run faster and jump higher.

  18. My fitness test of preference: sign up for a race! You don’t have to make it Oprah’s marathon, a 5K will do. But doing one gives you a bench mark for the next and if you have just an inkling of competitive spirit (that is all I have, just an inkling) you’ll want to do better next time. Often people get so wrapped up in wanting to improve their time they don’t even realize that along the way they’ve dropped weight, got more cardio fit, added a heaping scoop of self-confidence and quite possibly made new friends and had fun along the way! In my book anyone who finishes a race of any distance or kind is above average in fitness (even if they look “American Average.”)

  19. I think “average” is an attitude. If we were all content to just be our “average” selves, what a boring place this would be! I have always considered myself above average in the love I have for my family and the way I take care of them.

    When I started out in my journey this year, I was below average in my fitness level. I think right now I’m about average. I want to be better than that and keep pushing myself. After all, if I can give 200 percent to my family, why shouldn’t I do the same for my body? I think I am worth putting in the extra time and effort to be the best me I can be 😉

  20. it is entirely, for me, about being my personal best and (Ill say it) struggling to be as fit as I was when I was THIRTY from here on out…no matter my age.

    (sure. maybe MORE FIT. but I like to have my goals set me up for potential success.)

    and Kara? good point about the race. which made me start to think it mightcould be mindset FIRST & exemplary cardio.fitness level later.

    That’s the reason I inexplicably LOVE this tee I think (CLICK HERE).

    mindset. mindset.

    Miz., who unsuccessfully DID attempt to get a freebie outta Nike. thus far anyway….

  21. I think that in a way we have lowered the bar, as you say. My experiment months ago with going for a week eating absolutely nothing processed was a good example of that: it was damn tough to find things in the grocery store without additives, chemicals etc. And for fitness its the same.

    People look surprised if I say that I try to do an hour of cardio each day. That I ride my bike to work (its a 15 minute bikeride). These are all things that in my grandparents time- hell, even when my parents were kids- people did all the time. They were the norms. And now its less than average if you can’t walk six blocks or climb 2 flights of stairs… as a society, that’s concerning.

    On the other hand, it ISN’T necessary to really truly “look the part”. I don’t think we all ought to be muscly ripped and super intense. But I do think that we could all of us put in far more effort to have a fitness level that works for us and renders us capable to LIVE. Because so often we are prevented from living because of our fitness levels. Because like Cammy pointed out, its not about the external stuff, its the internal stuff and the real HEALTH aspect of it all (anyone can look like a bodybuilder if they take enough steroids. But are they truly strong and healthy? I think not).

    We’re talking health here. And Western (North) American society has terrible, terrible standards for what the “average” is for healthy fitness.

  22. There are no elliptical trainers on the path of least resistance. LOVE THAT!

    Setting goals for success? What a concept. I don’t think enough of us do that. Keep telling us.

    Must now switch around the cardio song list so that I can avoid that path of least resistance…

  23. sagan. wow.

    I think you captured it perfectly in the SO OFTEN WE ARE PREVENTED FROM LIVING BECAUSE OF OUR FITNESS LEVELS.

    not EVER, IMO, because of how we look.

    and Marianne? were you joking (she asks NOT because she wasnt being present but because she has tiredbrain this morning)?

    hope not as here is a reminder 🙂 CLICK HERE

    I revisit my goals often (for me it is typically via my vision board not a traditional list) to stay on the path Ive chosen to carve for myself.

    Miz.

  24. I agree, what does “average” mean anymore now that “average” is so unhealthy?

    The Oz test seems a little weird though. Running up stairs seems SO much more likely to lead to shortness of breath than walking. I would think lots of folks could walk 6 blocks without too much difficulty but would be seriously gasping at running up two flights of stairs. Are they really equivalent? Seems counterintuitive.

  25. Sadly, I think we have “accepted” the fact that we live stressfu lives and don’t have time to exercise, our family members are all big so we are big, Americans are just bigger on average,…

    Let me clarify…sadly I think we are just convincing ourselves of the excuses we make for how unhealthy we live. It’s not our fault…boohoo.

    WAKE UP!

  26. Ooooh – try the Ranger Special Ops test! It won’t tell you if you are “average” but you’ll sure feel like a champ just for having completed it!

    As for “American Average” – sometimes I think we should be asking ourselves how anyone manages in this environment to stay thin at all. Really.

  27. I agree that we have lowered the bar too far – it’s so low most of the bumbling band wouldn’t even trip over it!

    And it isn’t only in fitness and health issues where the bar is this low. It’s everywhere. No-one makes any effort to do their job – why should they? They can’t get fired, anyway, because it would be a violation of their human rights!

    It is a sign of the demise of civilization as we know it….we are headed the way of the Romans and Greeks…..*oops – got off track there, sorry* (Obviously, the Bag Lady had an “encounter of the incompetent kind” yesterday…..and she will NOT be dealing with THAT company.ever.again.)

  28. You wouldn’t know it to look at me but I tend to think in the “all or nothing” style, as in if I can’t do it perfectly, then I am a failure. When I couldn’t lose 30 pounds in 12 weeks, I thought I was a failure. When I couldn’t run for more than 90 seconds at a time, I thought I was a failure. It’s when I STOPPED trying so hard, that I was finally able to find success. When I realized that “good enough” really was good enough, that’s when things started happening for the better. I couldn’t lose 30 pounds in 12 weeks, but I could lose 30 pounds in a year. I couldn’t run for very long, but I can walk anyone under the table. So for me, setting the bar a little lower actually enabled me to reach higher – does that make sense?

    Now as a country? Yes, I do think that not only have we lowered the bar, we have dropped it on the ground with a clattering crash. I could go on and on about this one – seriously.

    sidenote: I too went outside yesterday when I couldn’t stand my pissy mood any more and did a little pond fishing with the husband. I’m not much of a fisher(wo)man, but I caught 2 very nice bass and had such a good time doing it that I forgot to be pissy! It was nice to BE PRESENT with the hubs and not have to talk about bills or schedules or anything. =)

  29. A subject dear to my heart…

    I think we have, as a society, come to accept “unhealthy” as normal. When told about cancer or heart disease risks, we shrug and say, “We all gotta go sometime.” When faced with the rising number on the scale, we say, “Well, we are the fattest country in the world” or “Thank God I don’t look like that one woman (there’s always someone bigger, after all)” or “Aging makes you gain weight, everybody knows that.” That’s very sad, to me, because while I fully recognize that you can’t eliminate health risks and it’s not at all healthy to OBSESS over these things, a huge amount of the negative can be eliminated just by clean eating, consistent activity, and conscientious self-care.

    I believe there is a very fine and intricate balance that needs to be struck between loving ourselves (and knowing that being worthy of love is NOT contingent upon a number on the scale or a clothing size) and still wanting to be our healthiest and best. And that’s where TokaiAngel has it sooooo right. Get the mind straight – as in, know that you’re WORTH the hard work it takes to get and stay healthy – and the body will generally follow.

    Good enough really is good enough. But we’ve come to consider it “good enough” if we’re still alive, regardless of our condition, and that leads to terrible quality of life. For me, that’s what it’s all about in the end – quality of life. Being unhealthy not only shortens your life, it ensures that a goodly portion of it is mere existence. That’s not “good enough” for me. For me, “good enough” means living every day with an awareness of the beauty in my life and the energy, strength and spiritual serenity to appreciate said beauty. That (again, for me) is a LOT more achievable when my physical condition is sufficient that I am strong, flexible and mostly pain-free, and my body is functioning the way it’s intended to, not at basic survival level.

    V.

  30. “have we gone so far into the notion of perfect not being important and that it’s ok to be less than our best & we need to love ourselves regardless that we’ve swung too far into deconditioned is the new black territory?’

    I love this!!! I hear a lot about not trying to be perfect and loving yourself the way you are, and it never really felt right to me. I know you shouldn’t (and I don’t) try to be perfect, but I want to be the best me I can be. Love the insight, as always!

  31. I love watching the floodgates open. I hope you other commenters realize just how much we love reading your stuff, too, not just the original post.

    Anyway, on to my response!

    Seems there are two major categories of responses.

    Re : Average. In some cases, constantly comparing yourself to someone else can lead to defeat and misery. You bomb your OWN chances, because you feel you’ll never measure up. But it can also give you a good idea of where you are, where you are going, and how far you’ve got to travel. It’s like telling yourself you’re going to run five miles, and feeling exhausted at 4.5. You’ve got that marker, and you’ll push yourself the extra bit to get your goal, whereas if you had no goal and just ran till you got tired, you might well have stopped at 4.

    So! What is average? Average of everyone everywhere is a useless number. You’ll find yourself compared to people who think that potatoes grow thin and crispy and people who think potatoes are poisonous, fat-exploding creatures from Hell.

    Do this. Look through magazines. Fitness mags, fashion mags…or even websites. Anything, where you can get a good idea of different body shapes and weights. Find your goal. The way YOU want to look. Is your goal muscled? Lean and fast? Flexible and smooth? Whatever your goal is, find a picture. Find multiple pictures. Print them out, clip them, whatever. That’s your pinnacle. Now do the same, and find pictures of your lowest goal. Not the person you dream of being, but rather the person you would be satisfied being. Probably not as thin, maybe not as toned or muscled. Be honest. Don’t choose someone who looks exactly like the first. Truly find someone that, although you may not WANT to be like that, they’re obviously on the same track as the first, just not as far along. This one will be harder, because photographers tend to focus on the perfect and pinnacle rather than the journey.

    But once you do it, somewhere in the middle is your “average”. YOURS. It’s based on your goals, your dreams, and the way you want to be. It’s not based on someone else’s goals, or how they want to be doing. You can’t compare yourself to your friends if they don’t have the same goals as you. So sometimes you have to make your OWN comparisons.

    Having a goal is great (I have multiple goals, in a step-ladder down to where I want to be) but don’t let it ruin the experience of your LIFE. Be yourself, and be who you want to be. Compare yourself to yourself, as much as you possibly can.

    Re : The Bar

    Have you ever watched the movie Idiocracy, MizFit? It’s not an awesome movie. Overall, it’s moderately good. HOWEVER, I think it should be required watching for anyone who is even remotely concerned about “where the bar is” in society. It’s…funny, and horrifying, and awful, and at the end, I was filled with a burning desire to do something, ANYTHING, to keep that world from happening. Though if I’m completely honest, I’m afraid that’s where we’re headed.

    Anyway, enough cryptic stuff about movies you may not have seen. I think the bar has been slanted. Someone pulled some pegs out of one side, and it’s hanging at an odd angle.

    We’ve made so many things EASY on ourselves. And on one hand, that’s great, but on the other hand, we HID how difficult they were from ourselves. So we don’t realize how little we do.

    Some people have a rubber band effect, making health and fitness a personal goal. But it’s an effort. It’s something that is consciously done, and takes extra care and work to accomplish.

    Basically, in order to be healthy and fit, we’ve had to look long and hard at those EASY things, and say “No, I’m gonna do it the hard way.”

    I can tell people about how easy some of the dinners I cook are – there’s no hiding the fact that it’s EASIER to order pizza.

    The bar has been lowered. We lowered it, so that more people could get over it with less effort. Our parents wanted us to have an easier life than they did. They didn’t want us to see and experience the hardships that they had to.

    And…we didn’t. They pulled part of the bar down, to make it easier on us. And we love them for it, and we appreciate the ease…but we can see some of the effects of that already.

    The question of what to DO about it is, in my opinion, the more intriguing and difficult question.

    *ramble ramble* Good thing I have your blog to comment on, otherwise I’d have to actually POST in mine! Be still, my heart!

  32. I think part of the problem is that AVERAGE has come to equal ACCEPTABLE. Which in itself is not a bad thing but when AVERAGE becomes heavier and unhealthier it needs to stop being ACCEPTABLE.

    Linda – I think as children/teens it’s hard to get to the point where we can see the goal as being bettering our previous efforts. I know as a teen and even into my early 20s, everything I did was held up to be compared to others achievements. Only in my late 20s did I come to a place where the only comparisons I did were to myself. (well, most of the time anyway, I do have my moments….)

    Now I want to run faster and longer than I do today. I want to lift heavier weights than I do today. I want to know more than I do today. And I’m willing to do the work to meet those goals. I truly believe that final statement makes me above average.

    Leigh anne

  33. Oh I almost forgot. I’ve been reading mizfit for about 6 months now and only just discovered what a titillating group the bumbling band is. This has now become the first blog I read the comments to. And refresh many many times throughout the day to ensure I don’t miss anything.

    Love it.

  34. Dr.Oz is my boyfriend!

    This post reminds me of the Tyra Show from a couple weeks ago about “Fat Exploitation”. Basically Fat Acceptance advocates were on their telling their stories of making tons of money based on providing fetish activities that centered around their weight.

    Many from the crowd stated that they were promoting and glamorizing an unhealthy lifestyle and that at 600 lbs there is no way you can be healthy.

    It was an interesting show as I found myself siding with different views at different times. Part of me felt like the Fat Acceptance people were settling or taking their movement too far. Part of me thought people should be able to see the beauty in everyone, 600 lbs or not.

  35. Dr. Oz is great, isn’t he? But I have to tell you that even though a ran a whole 10k, I would be winded and gasping for air if I ran up 2 flights of stairs. Ugh.

    I think in a lot of ways the bar is too low. Too many people don’t see what they are doing to themselves with their poor eating habits and lack of physical activity. Like the comment about the overweight lady who thought she was “average”- it shouldn’t be relative.

    Dr. Pamela Peeke (another Discovery Health guru) has a book out called Fit to Live. The basic premise is that many people aren’t even fit enough to save themselves in some type of emergency situation (could you escape a burning building, would you be able to help your kids to safety, could you help mvoe someone who was injured, etc?). But in another way, I think fit to live means being able to do things that you enjoy, such as spending time with your kids (it takes a lot of energy to keep up) or being able to do basic tasks like walk through the grocery store without using a motorized scooter.

    Personally I feel much better about my body because of the things that I can now do. Although the number on the scale isn’t as low as it has been at other times in my life, I am much happier and feel better, because I am stronger. I used to be what people refer to as “skinny-fat”. Sure I was thin, but I hated my body because I jiggled all over (well, except my collarbones). I ran on the treadmill a couple of times a week, but I was not at a very good level of cardio fitness, nor did I have any muscle strength or tone.

    It’s hard to define average, but regardless, I think we all need to keep trying to do better and to improve our best. We can have healthy competition with others, but shouldn’t compare ourselves to them, because everyone’s circumstance is different. It’s when we are at our own best that we can feel good about who we are.

  36. my prob is I work out all the time and yet two staircases wind me. It never fails – I can climb the Gauntlet at a fast clip for 45 minutes, sweating up a storm and working my heart and legs and all…but two little real-world flights render me practically immobile.

  38. sadly sadly dayjob calls (and yes, People. There is a scenario on this woman’s vision board where MizFit IS the day job. Must. Focus. Harder.) & so many thoughts

    (For example: you can always talk movies to me Ninja. Seen em all & the MizFitness book I’m working on weaves movies through it as a strong theme as well).

    I shall simply hit the superficial.

    The UH OH is there gonna be a BUMBLING BAND BRAWL as just_kelly and I fight over the Mehmet?

    Or is he doctor enough for us both to share?

    (Cue soap-operaesque cliffhanger music)

    M.

  40. Wow, that was a really great question and I am still thinking about how I would answer. I agree with lots of commenters above that comparing yourself to yourself instead of others is the key, but that it is a hard concept to grasp when most of our lives we are being compared to others. I grew up immersed in the world of competitive sports and I still have that mindset that I need to be faster/stronger/run farther/harder to find worth instead of just focusing on the benefits and how it makes me feel.

    As to whether the bar has been lowered I think it is a mix of apathy and our striding to be completely PC at all times that has lowered the bar.

  41. I definitely think we have lowered the bar. I know very few people who exercise if they are not actively trying to lose weight. It is almost as if the idea of exercising for general fitness and health is foreign to most people. The sad thing is that because our society is so sedentary now, it is more important than ever that we make time to exercise.

  42. *grabs a tub of popcorn and watches the impending catfight with avid interest*

    (I find it most hilarious that he’s OBVIOUSLY cheating on all of you, and yet you’re all going after each other? *laughs* Another movie reference for you, Miz. John Tucker Must Die. Oh yes. I watch the awful movies too.)

  44. Interesting post. I like to think that in some ways I am above average but not on the scale…I used to be 🙂

    With all of the calories posted on the menus here in NY we’re hoping to keep that Obesity number down here in the East…I truly hope it works, especially for the children.

  45. Definitely think the bar has been lowered (unfortunately). Personally – I never want to give up! I want to strive to continue to exercise, keep physically fit, running 5Ks in my 80s!!! As long I have feet and a decent pair of shoes I will be out there!
    Miz-thanks for the post this a.m., am doing better today. I feel the black cloud lifting a bit! Must have been the nice long run last night… 😉

  46. I, too, love the calories posted thing. It doesn’t happen often, but I saw it on the drive-thru fresca menu at Taco Bell, and I LOVED it, because I really wouldn’t have guessed at those values just by looking.

    And there was a HUGE difference.

  47. *addendum

    Of course, they have to be HONEST. And that is, unfortunately, not something I can test.

    What we need are machines at home. Insert burger, hit Frappe, and it’ll spit out the calorie content, so next time we go, we know for sure what we’re eating. (not recommended that you eat the burger shake output by the calorie counting machine)

  48. We are a people of contradictions — the more we worship thinness, the fatter we get. The healthier food is, the more expensive it is. Etc.

    I agree with self-love being key. When we work with our bodies instead of against them, trying to beat them into submission, and have an integrated sense of self, the better we do.

    And I think we need to stop waiting until we are thin to get fit — I’m fat and pretty fit and working on the thinner part, too.

    While I’m on a roll, I think we need to stop looking for an easy way out — pills that give the effect of exercise without exercising, diet pills, The Right Diet (whichever one is the diet du jour), the magic whatever. It just takes some work — more more, eat less.

    End of rant! 😀

  49. Wonderful post Mizfit! It’s alarming to hear that people are setting norms for different countries.

    The clothing industry has a huge impact in setting these norms. I am a Montrealer, and as Christine noted ” it is a city of designer fashions and cigarettes – nobody is fat in Montreal”. It is a fact that the clothing sold in stores here are not true to size. In most stores, a size medium is more like an extra-small. What is considered a size 8 in Canada, would be more of a size 4-6 in the U.S.

    What do a lot of women here do to drop a size or two instantly? We go shop at an American store. It’s an immediate boost to the self-esteem. Makes you wonder…

  50. alexia? I can totally see that on a tee shirt:

    —
    I’m fat & pretty fit & working on the skinny part.
    —
    Although being the MizFit I am I mightcould be compelled to add a smaller fontsized ‘so bite me.’

    M.

  51. Oh, such an interesting discussion…tearing me away from work…

    From my vantage point…I see so many people trying: trying to make the right food choices, trying to move a little, etc…and I think that’s good. Even if it’s just a walk around the block. Or my traditional, conservative, resistant-to-change grampa telling me how much he loves flaxseed. So I think I see no– no, fewer– problems with a lowered bar. Especially when I hear my mom and other new exercisers making excuses for themselves and putting down their efforts (“nobody would call what I do RUNNING, i’m barely jogging, it’s pretty pathetic.”). I want to say– I do say– wow it’s so awesome and brave and wonderful of you just for trying and I bet tomorrow you can even tack on two more minutes. 😉

    I am above average now (by american standards) but try not to compare myself to other people, just do things like measure my resting heart rate and see how long it takes for it to slow down after stopping exercise and stuff like that. Because for all my “lowering the bar” talk from above, I do set it ridiculously high for myself…**also, as a former chubby kid, I HOPEhopehope the heartbreaking obesity epidemic among today’s kids may hopefully inspire them to work out as teens/adults if they are able to distance themselves from the circumstances which caused their overweight as I did– fingers crossed.**

  52. First, I don’t really think fitness has to have much to do with the way we look. One of my best friends runs ultra marathons, and definitely is not the picture you think of when you think of someone who can run THAT MUCH. She can kick basically every person’s butt on the planet.

    However, I do think we often sell ourselves short, because of what “normal” has come to be defined as. We’ve gotten so overburdened with other things in life that health often goes to the back. It’s normal to not exercise, and those that do are deemed as the radicals. I’m running my first half marathon this Sunday, something I’ve trained for a very long time to do, and the first thing my coworkers said to me about it was “you’ll hurt your knees!” Not a good luck, not even a good for you, just a “you’re a crazy person!” Yes I’ve trained hard for this…but honestly I was able to find time to fit it in with a full time job and still going for my master’s part-time. I missed a few episodes of Prison Break in exchange for running, but hey…my health is worth it, and I’m pretty darn excited I didn’t sell myself short this time.

  53. Oh, I do indeed think that we have settled. Settled in how we take care of ourselves and our children. And neither one of those are kind or loving.

    When ever I hear a bloggie friend say “I wish I could just ‘be normal’. ”
    I now write back and say – sit and watch the traffic coming in and out of the library, license bureau, grocery store, mall – THAT is (american) normal – and you don’t want to be normal.

  54. 73% of Americans will be obese by the end of 2008?!!!? Not overweight, but OBESE? Wow. I know they’re having an obesity epidemic in Great Britain as well (Prince Charles wanted to ban McDonald’s). And yet the models on the runway die of self-inflicted starvation since the “ideal” is to be pencil-thin.

  55. As I’ve lost weight, I had someone tell me (when I hit a plateau) that I was hating on myself by trying to lose weight. That if I really loved me for who I am, I would accept myself where I am.

    I think that’s the biggest load of crap ever. I’m awfully fond of myself, and I think the greatest way to express that self-love (at least the greatest way that isn’t x-rated), is to make myself into the best version of me that I can; to not accept plateaus & road blocks; to always look & evaluate & re-evaluate where I’m at; to know when I’m doing the best I can and when I can push a little harder; and to not confuse “acceptance” with “love.”

    I think the problem is that my acquaintance’s opinion is more prevalent than mine.

  56. Here it is barely 8 am on the lLeft side of the country and everyone has already responded with such outstanding contributions and thoughts about average and normal and I’m sitting here feeling like a rats patootie.

    I didn’t read EVERY post. (that will come later) I’m sure when other countries/cultures hear the phrase “American Average,” they think of cows on couches eating creamy dips & chips, flub oozing out the sides of their shirts and gargantuan undies.

    Mehmet is not my BF – you can have him. I like that tiny little fart that hangs out with him – Dr. Roizen. He’s about 3’9″, weighs in about 78 lbs and doesn’t quite have the personality of Oz but he has money.

  57. I don’t know why we’ve given up. A couple of observations though.

    We are such a litigious society, that most doctors would rather give patients a slew of pills rather than casually mention that these problems could be CURED by losing some weight.

    The cart people??? This drives me nuts. When I go to some of my [hobby] conventions, there are always numerous people (usually women) in those riding carts because they are too heavy to walk!! Who told these people that this is okay? Again, I think most of these carts are ‘prescribed’ by doctors who I guess feel helpless to help these people change their lives.

    But for the grace of God, I almost became a cart person. I know that at least once in my life I had the thought, I can hardly wait til I can get one of those carts. Hey Miz–that does bring to mind another Seinfeld–George and the cart people!!

  58. On NPR this week, there’s been a lot of talk about the American economic crisis becoming a global economic crisis. Is America’s mistakes re: the subprime mortgage fuck up dragging the rest of the world down? Short answer: yes.

    And AJH’s comment that Australian average is like American average makes me suspect that we drag the rest of the world down in other areas, as well.

    I think that efforts are being made to shore up the dismal level of physical fitness in this country (i.e. the school based President’s Challenge–which I definitely couldn’t complete when I was in 7th grade). But it’s clearly not enough. Because a guideline like walking a half a mile without dying as sufficient is pathetic. Humans are designed to walk or run everywhere, hunt and gather, and play all the frickin’ time. So it’s not like our bodies are deficient; it’s our mentality.

    Anyway, I would say that we have given up. Instead of focusing on being active enough (note that I didn’t say “exercising”) so as to be functional, we keep inventing things to take over our functions. Anyone else see Wall-E? Didn’t you think that the motorized hover-chairs were eerily similar to the go-carts in Wal Mart? ::Shudder::

    As to the Band’s collective wisdom? Hurray!

  60. Why is it that the “America is getting ‘fatter'” argument always sets my teeth on edge? It honestly makes me want to scream, even though I know it’s true. Perhaps it has something to do wtih the fact that it is DIETING that has coincided directly with increased numbers on the scale? That I don’t know a single woman who was actually “obese” the first time she dieted, but I know many women who count as such after many whole-hearted attempts to diet. So perhaps my problem is that the New-York-Times-Bestselling-late-night-infomercial-celebrity-endorsement world embraces this idea of a “fat America” as a way to sell diet products & services.

    I think it’s a step deeper than that, though. To say that “we are fat” is a form of self-hatred. And for those who fall within a healthy range of weight, my initial reaction is always “You have no idea what it feels like to be overweight, obese, fat, whatever label you choose to put on it” (no personal attack intended here, just my gut reaction–I know that many “healthy-sized” people have self-image problems). In short, I’m tired of the hating. Self-hatred for not being able to “fix” an eating/activity problem that can never be cured while the self-hatred exists, hatred of the growing size of Americans without an accompanying love for the absolutely human people within the larger bodies (and I definitely leave our Mizfit out of that number–I can’t imagine anyone more loving in her quest to help people be more fit) . . . but most importantly, fixation on the visible sign of what is perhaps more fundamentally a problem with wellness. Sure, people look different. But isn’t it more important whether they *feel* good? Because there are a lot of pills for this and pills for that and teenagers committing suicide because of those pills. And there is a lot of sitting inside on a beautiful day and fighting for close parking spots when it isn’t raining or frigid and miserably marching away on an elliptical instead of playing soccer with kids . . . To me that’s a much more fundamental problem than building movie theaters with larger seats.

    So I’m going to disagree. There isn’t a problem with people getting fatter. There’s a problem with people forgetting to love themselves and enjoy the body they have.

  61. Unfortunately, I think the American attitude has digressed to the point that “sufficiently fit” has become “holy crap that person is super human.”

    But I’ve noticed something: my co-workers know that I’m fit, so they talk to me about their own fitness goals, tell me about the new gym they signed up for, tell me they’ve been trying to eat better lunches, etc. I don’t even draw them into conversation about it; they do this by themselves.

    My conclusion: we can help combat obesity in America by simply being good examples.

    And thanks so much for the home fitness tests. I’m trying to help my wonderful mother with diet/exercise, and while I have access to all this wonderful information in my textbook, it’s difficult to help my mother who is SEVEN TIMEZONES AWAY.

    Anyone in the Bumbling Band have tips for helping someone stick to a diet/exercise plan from very, very long distance?

  62. damn. LOTS of good stuff here, People.
    Thank you.

    and I love, Heather, that you disagreed and appreciate that you made time to leave such a well thought out and long comment.
    Youre a smart articulate woman and yes it IS time to stop the hating.

    and POD? Im singling you out as well. Dr. Roizen? I think Ive erroneously always assumed that he is Jewish and SO THE MAN MY PARENTS WANTED ME TO MARRY 🙂 that Ive fought the Roizen’ffection.

    (& we love your patootie)

    M.

  63. and RunJess? FOR ME the best motivators are often those who arent in close proximity…no matter the goal (and hence my thought for MizFit Motivational Match-Ups).

    email. text. phonecalls. cards. gifts of magazine subscriptions. sending a care package with healthy treats. new tees for working out. workout dvds. books.

    all the above would motivate me and, for some reason, not feel as PRESSUREDNAGGED as I might if you/the person lived close by and wanted to meet me at the gym or go out for a healthy lunch or meal.

    does that make any sense? more a long distance cheertasker.

    encourage me. prod me to stay on task and NOT be all up in my face.

    but Im odd that way.

    anyone else?

    M.

  64. I have one for Debby who was speaking of the cart people. Over the weekend I saw a lady at the grocery store (caution, I am not making fun of her) She was parked in Handicap and unloading her groceries. This woman’s legs were 10 times the size of mine.My thought was; this must be a terrible way to have to live. THEN I saw her groceries! She obviously only shopped in the middle aisles of the store. JUNK, JUNK, JUNK! And, she was 10 feet from the cart return inside the store and instead of taking it in, she gave it a little shove and out it rolled and off she drove. My thought was damnit, if you would just return your cart that would be a start.

    Rant over and hopefully I did not offend anyone.

    Miz, you can have Chad, I personally love Josh. Makes me want to be a Cougar. <—Did I really say that?

  65. to be honest, i think we, as a culture, have accepted mediocrity and are averse to hard work. i’m young (22), but my generation and the youngest generation now have been babied and don’t expect to have to work hard for anything.i see it every day! this isn’t just in fitness, it’s in school, at work (now bosses have to talk to people’s moms in order to deal with work issues—WTF is up with that?)

    anyway, before i ramble on even more (you know i’m a huge fan of pushing your limits and finding your strengths), i think americans have gotten so used to instant gratification that we are more prone to quit than to buckle down and get it done!

  66. i don’t even know what average is and so many people have commented much better than i could right now.

    so, all i’ll say is this: i’d rather be “fat” and healthy than skinny and not.

    my former roommate amy (her back is actually in one of the photos in the ol’ blog) is what one would call “skinny fat.” she’s skinny, looks good … but is out of shape. I’ve got some lingering belly pudge (i swear there’s muscle under there), but would probably kick her butt in any physical activity.

  67. i think that the lack of exercise and the fact that we have, indeed, given up as a society when it comes to fitness is directly correlated to the decrease in mental wellbeing amongst americans. i think it’s sad to hear that people aren’t taking care of their bodies the way they used to, which is having a negative effect on their mental health as the amount of depression in the us is skyrocketing. endorphins are good for the body AND soul…
    i think that even if you feel like you’re all over the place, crazy busy, that you need to take that 30-90 minutes a day to improve your body, inside and out.
    thanks for the home fitness test… i’ll definitely be giving that a whirl
    i <3 dr. oz…. and mizfit 😀

  68. I’m with Amy/GazellesonCrack with regard to what people told me. When I mentioned that I was unhappy with my weight and how I felt, people immediately said, “Well, you have two kids” as if that gave me carte blanche to carry an extra 25 pounds around.

    But eating healthy (most of the time) and exercising (as much as I can fit in) has lead me to lose 20 of that 25 pounds so far.

    And this crosses over to where I am on the average scale. By virtue of working out, I’m probably above average in fitness for Americans. But I’m below average of what I’ve been in my own lifetime. I’d like to get back to my own personal standard.

  69. IM STUNNED Meribeth.

    That’s all Im gonna say ;).

    (ok, Im weak: really?! Josh wasrecentlyaccusedofarttheft JOSH?!)

    onward–

    Jay, I agree with the accepting mediocrity (and Im thinking outside of the fitness realm here) and raise you the fact that we almost celebrate it.

    M.

  70. Well, the whole problem seems to be denial to me. And not just about fitness.
    You go through life not noticing the extra pounds creep up, and a lot of that is because you don’t get out of your comfort zone to find out that you really *are* out of shape. And then you have to constantly test that comfort zone to lose the weight and become fit.

    Same thing with debt. Many people carry around a lot of debt weight, but because they only see it as a ‘small’ monthly payment a month, there is no incentive to to work hard to get rid of it.

    In a society of ‘get rich, thin, younger (insert word of choice here) quick’ – it’s no wonder nobody wants to do the hard work, time and effort it takes.

  71. Ummmm, I think I want in on the “Mehmet” too! I am reading “YOU: On A Diet”. There is more realness in the 1st few chapters that I have gotten out of any other diet book I have read! A diet that so far seems to be a lifestyle plan! Willing to share him! LOL!

  72. I think its getting more than a little out of hand. The waste that occurs throughout North America is mind boggling. Wasted food, energy, gas, etc. boggles the mind. We consume, and consume, and then consume some more. Tsk-tsk

  73. Sigh…POD, I feel your pain. I want to comment on *everything*! As it is, I’m going to go on too long. Be warned! 😉

    Crabby McSlacker and other runners made a good point about stairs vs. walking. I can run 5K (albeit slowly, but I can do it), but climbing 72 stairs without stopping at a brisk walking pace still kicks my posterior. Go figure.

    Regarding judging by appearance, well, I am clinically obese. (Wow, I can type that now without the “so I must be a loathesome worm…except worms are skinny” part chiming in my head. Funny how one can think the worst things about oneself that one would never dream of thinking about others…) I’ve changed my health and fitness habits, and the appearance part is gradually changing, too. So no, I currently don’t fit the appearance profile of a runner. Not sure if I’m “average” fitness-wise, but I’m healthier (in many measurable ways) and happier than I’ve been in a long time. As with Valerie, for me it’s a quality of life issue. Before recently, I felt my quality of life was “good enough.” As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that my quality of life is going to suck big time and sooner than I thought if I don’t take better care of myself and learn to love fitness. Sure, it was hard starting, and I don’t always feel super-motivated, but what’s surprised me is that it’s not as hard as I thought it would be to do. If I’d have known that, I’d like to think I would have made the good changes sooner.

    (Alexia and MizFit? Sign me up for one of those t-shirts, especially with the ‘so bite me’ part.)

    Linda/Hughsmom: Ugh, your comment reminded me of the dreaded President’s Physical Fitness tests during the jr. high and high school years. (How the heck do you train for pullups when PE was all jogging and volleyball, I’d like to know?) I feel for Hugh and my own son, who isn’t really built for speed either. I’m happy to say that our elementary school incorporates running into their day (and our district has really stepped up the nutritional policies for both what they sell and what kids should bring in their lunches), so perhaps things are changing gradually. My boyo still gets so down about all the other kids being faster runners than he is, but he can sure ride a bike and scooter fast and well.

    Missicat, running 5Ks in your 80s? You’re my new hero!!! I want to be able to say that someday, too!

    Heather, I think that’s so true. I think it’s less a problem with “being fat” and more a problem with our having forgotten to enjoy being active and being outdoors. (I’ve gotten to be somewhat of a fresh air freak, probably from being cooped up in an office all day.) What you said about the elliptical reminded me of going to Hawaii, where there are lots of great, active things to do, and the hotel had a fitness room with treadmills. I felt like yelling at the people using them, “Get in the water and swim! Go on a hike, if you can’t swim! You’re in freakin’ HAWAII, for God’s sake, people!”

  74. Ahhhh….me loves the Mehmet, too! He’s so freakin’ awesome it’s just ridiculous.

    I agree that we’ve lowered the bar. I have belonged to a weight loss support group (not Weight Watchers, but a non-profit, international organization which i shall not name here) for several years. It is only since I’ve joined the gym and started working on “eating clean” that my weight has come off and will stay off. Now I get so irritated at the meetings when I hear the people obsess with the number on the scale. And the way some of them “play the scale” makes me nuts! One lady won’t let herself have anything to drink after 10a (our meeting is at 5:30p) so that it will help make sure she’s had a loss. Another lady eats breakfast and won’t eat anything else until after the meeting. This isn’t weight loss! And it’s not healthy.

    basically what I’m trying to say is that we are obsessed with the next quick fix that no one wants to make the effort to do it right. It’s too much hard work. Well who said something as awesome as having a healthy body would be easy? I’m still working on getting there, but I will not give up.

    And I just have to say… mmmmmmmm…Mehmet! Mrs. Angie Oz….oh that sounds divine! lol

  75. I know that for me, things came up with my kids that sidetracked my care of ME and keeping ME healthy. I concentrated on what had to happen for my kids and neglected myself. When I finally realized that my love for my kids could also motivate me to take care of my own health, I dropped my acceptance of mediocrity and moved toward fitness and health for myself. I think it is a matter of motivation. If people could find their motivation to get healthy, they’d do it. So, what is the lack thereof? Is it the photoshopped pictures of glamour girls and gq guys that de-motivates us?…knowing that we can’t attain those lofty goals? Or do we not “get” that illness walks hand in hand with obesity?

  76. The bar has been lowered, starting with toddlers. I know quite a few mothers that have almost given up the notion of active play because their kids just “don’t know what to do” or they play for 5 minutes then are tired and whining. Seriously. But then you look at the lifestyle of the parents and I don’t wonder why these kids are this way. It makes me feel empowered that I get to choose what my two littles eat (for the most part) and what they do. That I don’t let them be a victim of technology and letting the TV babysit them. So many feel overwhelmed and like it is an uphill battle and that just makes me sad.

    I don’t think we as a society have totally given up- otherwise there wouldn’t be great blogs such as this out there- but it is just much more acceptable and the notion of discrimination against obese adults and teens and toddlers…ugh, I could go on and on with that. At a local school here some parents were trying to make recess optional because their kids didn’t like to run around and would rather spend that time sitting and playing cards or their game boys or reading. We are talking 15 minutes of outside play and they were fighting for their kids rights to basically not be forced to be active! All I can do is shake my head I guess and see the bigger picture and teach my girls to make good choices and hope they rub off on their friends instead of the other way around. How sad is that?

  77. Hey! Dr. Oz is MY doctor boyfriend too!! I love that man! I think that too many people just put their health at the bottom of their priority list. Too many people to take care of, too many chores to do, too many bills to pay. It’s an easy trap to fall into, and hopefully more people will realize that when they take care of themselves… everything else will take care of itself also. It all works out somehow!

  78. Wow! I felt good reading this post, because I actually did more than the stair test today. I walked up 5 flights of stairs this morning with a co-worker because the wait for the elevators was long. I was fine!

    I think too many people make a lack of time an excuse for not exercising as well as not doing a lot of other things in our life. I think if we “get off our franny!” as Flylady likes to say, we’ll see that we can do amazing things!

  79. Average? Well, I have never been average at anything :). Someone previous in your enormous fan base said something it depends on what we are measuring here. If we are looking at numbers on the scale, I fail. If we are looking at internal numbers, I pass with flying colors. If we are looking at fitness levels, it depends on who you are comparing me with…triathletes, I fail. The skinny girl in the cube next to me, I pass. It’s amazing to me sometimes that as the fat chic I can be fitter than the skinny chic.

    Someday I will be the skinny fit chic!

  80. My yoga self says: One of my challenges is not to compare myself with others. I choose not to judge others or even both thinking about others condition. Am I fit enough to live the life I want to lead? Then I’m fine.

    My non-yoga self says: Wow. 73%?? The ability to walk six blocks is average? I don’t want anyone to feel bad because that isn’t helpful or conducive to improvement, but WE CAN DO BETTER.

    As for those of you who say it is an individual problem, I respectfully want to point out that 73% is almost a super-majority of Americans. When a few people are overweight, it might be a personal problem, but when the vast majority of a society is unhealthy (because they have difficulty walking six blocks, not because of their weight) then it’s a societal problem that requires large-scale solutions. Of course it takes individual effort, but people are clearly being set up to fail as it is right now.

  81. I think that average is slipping, because we are becoming accustomed to not having to work as hard for what we have. This spills over into health issues…doing less, eating more. Doing a few little things that lead to otehr things and not giving up…just doing them because they are the right thing to do.
    And when it is harder to actually make fitness a part of your life it can be a real challenge.
    It’s a cycle you start and fall into without even realising it. I did…and stepping out of it came in stages and is a constant effort…a regular reboot of life. I have an overweight relative who complains about her health and weight (she is very obese with sleep apnea, many health issues and joint pain) and yet does nothing active, largely because it is very difficult to do so, and is often in bed watching TV eating when I am over to visit. It’s a vicious circle that is so hard to step out of…and yet once you do? Once you get that glimpse of how good it feels to do more…well there is usually no turning back.
    I’m glad people are stepping away from the enforced overthin perfection body type that most people cannot attain…but being healthy? Everyone should be able to feel they can do that…:)

  82. I love your insights and received an email this morning asking if I really read all the comments.

    yep.

    all.

    and usually all more than once.

    Miz.

  84. Oooooh, don’t have time to read comments but….must.submit.two.cents…

    So, I can run up two flights surprisingly easily, as I’ve discovered from working on the second floor, how and ever, if I have to walk it I’m ready to die by the top of the second flight…where’s the sense in that?! They are double flights, though, the ones with a wee landing in the middle, so possibly a flight and a half each? Yes, I know, I’m stretching now…pretending to be not quite so desperately unfit as I am!!

    I love that…armoured by the bumbling band…I guess it’s like that old adage of how one twig is easily snapped, but take a whole bunch together and their strength is a force to be reckoned with.

  85. Hey M,

    Great thought provoking post.

    I hate to think that I’m average. I don’t run with the herd. Sadly, in a lot of weighs (haha), average has become much worse.

    So average is clearly not something to be proud of. I will say though that I think you need to separate weight and fitness. I think they are, or can be, related in many people, but it is not a direct relation.

    I really believe that once you get the your diet right, you can get your weight under control, whereas fitness is more directly related to your activity level. in other words, “Fit or Fat” is a false dichotomy.

    I wrote something on e4e about exercise and weight loss.
    http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2008/08/take-care-of-black-box-exercise-for.html

    Also, I use my polar heart rate monitor to give me cardio workoputs and measure progress. My VO2 max is around 40 or so, which is good for my geezerly age.

    Cheers,
    Tony

  86. Ok, I was going to leave a comment, but it got REALLY long. I seem to suffer from that lately.

    So, the short version is: what Heather said. 😉

  87. I guess it’s like that old adage of how one twig is easily snapped, but take a whole bunch together and their strength is a force to be reckoned with.

    Id missed that adage (the one I recall is from the play Youre A Good Man Charlie Brown & it’s something Lucy says about the fingers individually being nothing but when they come together as a fist….Im the consummate intellectual).

    I love that adage.

    (and Marste we love your longwindedness. just so you know :))

    M.

  88. Wow, 73% by the end of THIS year. That’s crazy! I find it hard to believe though, with the increase in number of fitness events (cycling/running/tri/hiking/walks, etc.) and increase in the number of participants that this number will hold. I guess it is up to all of us to help kick that awful statistic right in the keister. Modeling, modeling, modeling . . . and offering support to others (starting in our own homes!) are two great ways to start.

  89. I started a long detailed response to your post. About “acceptance” and education and setting the bar too low (hint: it started when kids sports started saying; EVERY IS A WINNER. Even if don’t win and don’t really try…).

    Decided I really need to blog this instead.

    ‘xcuse me.

  90. yep, Deb.
    The always debated ‘should all kids get a trophy or medal if they *didn’t win* but simply showed up’…

    Inflating the self esteem without allowing the kids to earn it/really have something upon which to *anchor* it.
    Is that truly even ‘self-esteem’ or just hollow ‘feel good?’

    M

  91. when I started reading this post in the am, my thoughts went to why our views of average have changed. indeed, they have. and that american average is (unfortunately) appropriate. i think the root of the problem is the media, portraying too many of those size 0’s, whom are being paraded around us to make us feel inadequate and send us down the path of least resistance (that is, obesity). It’s amazing how a good self-image can propel you forward, to continue positive habits. And I think runjess is right on about setting an example. when you get people talking about things you’re passionate about, it gets them thinking, too.

  92. “Dr.Oz’s suggestion for an easy way to determine whether you are in ‘fine’ or average shape? Run up two flights of stairs or walk six blocks.” I think this is so great.

    Too many people are so out of shape and think it is normal to get out of breath so easy or have a hard time getting up off the floor. While yes it is true that this is average, that doesn’t mean that you should allow yourself to feel this way. Or to think that you can’t do better.

    I really enjoyed this post.

  93. I shall meditate of that phrase, “American average.” Eyebrow lifting indeed.

    I heart Mehmet.

Trackbacks

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This