Obesity

How the Absence of Housework Activity Made America Fat

December 24, 2009
By Al M. Kind

If a farmer from 40 years ago would ride a time machine he would be shocked to see people huffing and puffing at the gym. He would be initially shocked at how so many people will outweigh his muscular and sinewy body anywhere from 50 to 100 pounds. The farmer would not be able to imagine people pouring out so much energy on bicycles going nowhere just to burn calories.

Half a decade ago people used their energies productively. Aside from the country offering a lot more physical jobs people actually had real house work to do. Taking at the trash, taking the dog out and washing the dishes were not considered house work. House work meant hard labor. Felling trees, putting up fences, digging a pool and the like were meant to give you callused hands, workout your lower back and make you sweat like a pig.

People today have so much less time and “outsource” everything elsewhere. They just pick up the phone and wait for their carpenter, plumber or gardener to do the job for them. This has developed a culture of a sedentary America. People prefer to watch than to sweat it out fixing something at home.

The questions that have been asked about the rampant obesity problem have always been focused on food. Fast food, carbohydrates, fat and even genes are commonly blamed. If only people would ask themselves how much calories they store into fat just sitting down and watching TV. Worse is eating pop corn and soda while leveling up their favorite MMORPG characters.

Weekends today are spent indoors. Dads playing the latest sports games with their sons. Moms shopping online with their daughters. If families would just spend more time at parks, beaches or even just their neighborhood pool with their kids perhaps the obesity problem will stop within a generation. Kids who are used to activity will yearn a sweat or two when they get older.

People underestimate the amount of calories they would be able to lose should they do weekly cleanings of their bathrooms. Or scrub the floor of their garages. Cleaning the house could be a family affair that could replace low-intensity cardio for fat loss.

Families could even do strength training while rearranging the living furniture. Not only will this build muscle but it will also develop functional strength that is seemingly getting extinct.

There are a lot of activities at home that a family can do together that can replace their fitness programs. Involving the kids will also make them feel that exercise can be productive and beneficial to their health at the same time.

Engr. Kind’s passion is running and he recommends that heavier people use motion control running shoes. This prevents their feet from rolling inward too much saving it from pain and injury. The Asics GEL-Evolution 5 is one such shoe and has gained accolades from the running community.

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