Thread by @AndyRowell

On why dieting and exercise and trying to look good and be fit and thin may not have as much to do with excellence as having a paunch, serving others, taking walks, and eating meals with people.

I have been reading about diets and people trying to lose weight. Apparently almost any diet "works" the first two weeks if you haven't been eating carefully.
BUT then it is slow (and therefore harder to stay with).
AND regular bingeing on deprivation hurts your body long-term.

From a Christian perspective, trying to "look good" is not really something we're supposed to be focused on. We are specifically told in the New Testament not to worry about nice clothing, fashionable hairstyles, jewelry, or impressive physical exercise.

Often people *say*: "I just want to be healthy" but it seems like they are rather interested in their appearance. They spend a huge amount of time and money on working out, the right clothes, and healthy food; and less time reading, caring for others, and socializing.

I wonder if it is worth spending massive amounts of time on your body when this 2020 study found bmj.com/content/368/bm… people (at 50) with no healthy habits lived free of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, & cancer until 74. With good habits, people lived to 81-84 without them.

It is preferable to live from ages 74-84 without those health issues. But it is also misguided to deprive and discipline your self for decades just "for health."

And, it seems to me, often it is the fitness-obsessed people who have the most health issues in their 20's-40's!

Where I am coming from is a heritage of Christians (evangelical Mennonites in the Midwest) who worked hard and enjoyed dessert a lot and were not particularly thin, nor were they fitness buffs. But most lived really long lives and were great people.

I will also say that in my experience, there is no correlation between "fit and thin" leaders, pastors, and professors, and quality thoughtful work (though our culture constantly suggests that the marathon runners are more disciplined and productive).

There *is* in my experience a positive correlation between those who are *active* with quality thoughtful work, if that *activity* is trying-to-help-others. But they often have a belly! Looking good is not that important to them. They care more about sharing meals with others.

So find friends and a spouse who are active doing positive things (church and volunteering)—not on looking good or even "being healthy" (which I worry is code word for the former). And raise your kids to be active in activities (band, team sports, musicals, Scouts, Lego team).

And eat meals with people as often as you can! Try a variety of foods! You'll be happier.

And do physical activities that need to get done (!) (playing with kids, lawn mowing, cooking, food shopping, laundry, cleaning, snow shoveling, leaf raking, and those at work), and a few physical activities you *enjoy* (taking a walk with someone, playing sports).

Yes, I know that people in our culture initially judge people by their weight but it is WRONG! And once someone and your community gets to know you, they won't care what you weigh! They will care about your warmth, your love, your unique contributions, you!

Here is a blog post of this thread:
"On why dieting and exercise and trying to look good and be fit and thin may not have as much to do with excellence as having a paunch, serving others, taking walks, and eating meals with people" by Andy Rowell
andyrowell.net/andy_rowell/20…