Modern Lifestyles
 

I noticed on another thread some one mention that many of todays young men are not fit enough to make it to the Military.

I have heard here in UK that comment also--so why not?
Is it todays lifestyle where most of us use cars to get about and do not take enough exercise.
Is it sitting at the computer too long, playing cyber games etc, not walking when we can ride.

Do we take enough exercise and do we have enough life challenges to really survive if facing difficult circumstances.
Many children are driven to school by car instead of walking. How many take up sport that gets them fit?

Over here many of our school sports fields were sold-- so less space for youngsters to play.

Are we as fit as we should be?
When I see old films about life as it used to be with much physical work I doubt that many of us could adapt too easily.

any thoughts on this?

I'm not quite old enough to comment on the way things were, but from what I've seen - and heard - I think it all seems to come down to a change in mentality and priorities in a way . . .

I mean in WW2 there was rationing, little transport, little movement, tight commuinities and team-work . . . people made do with what they had. Then, in a space of a few decades, we had equal rights for everyone, a vast ammount of food, no rationing, planes/trains/cars for the masses, national healthcare, tecnology that got better and better with each passing year . . . I think it's like when you give a starving man food, he'll gourge himself to insane ammounts, desperate to have what he hasn't had before, scared it might go away any second.

So (in the UK and US at least) people eat and eat, because they can - food is readily avaliable, its enjoyable, so why not? So people drive even to the corner shop, because they can - they have a car, its quicker, easier, so why not? I think having everything readily avaliable has just changed the mentality of society as a whole. We can do anything, have anything, so we take and take and take, because why not?

I see plenty of people just like in the examples you've named, and I can honestly say that most of them wouldn't cope in a physically demanding job, or any of the common jobs of the past, like farming or mining.

To me the modern lifestyle of constant consumption (whether food or material objects), and the laziness of the youth, is all down to a change in mentality. If we have everything we want, if we believe we're entitled to it, then what's the incentive to diet or excercise or budget or even - for some - to get a job?

Most of us live in free countries. We have the freedom and ability to decide what we wanna do with our lives and therefore the reality of the consequences that may occur from these choices will eventually pop up and smack us upside-down the face.

My general point is that it's up to ourselves to keep fit and stay healthy. Mommy Nature is not gonna drop a pep-talk and a healthy cook book on our heads, just because we have it 'easy'. If you have a bike, you can ride that to school. If sports fields get sold, you can play in your garden at home or at your friends' house. It's really not that difficult.

And honestly.. there are a LOT of people that still work hard. Just because we have machines to do the hardest parts of the job (or at least some places do), it doesn't mean that hard labor doesn't exist anymore. I was at a simple grocery store for 1½ months. It was definitely not for the faint-hearted. Lots of moving huge boxes, carrying heavy weights and walking and cleaning at every shift - shifts that were up to 11 hours long.

physical culture
 

It depends of motivation of a certain person. One may have TVs or computers on every room of his house, it doesn't matter. When you have a strong desire to make a physical work or physical training, you'll find at least 30 minutes a day to do it.

Well of course lots of money is made from the fitness brigade. Keeping Fit is big business but there has to be self motivation. They say too many children are fat because they do not eat well or play games etc. Always being driven to school-- seldom walking or running.

ALso our health and safety brigade are limiting much of the risks that children would normally take.