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Wow. This really depends on 2 things: what era we're talking about (jogging was popular in the 90's, and maybe the 80's, but I was talking about even earlier eras, like the 40's - 60's and maybe 70's), and one's social environment. In me experience, and my older relatives' experience, fast food was NEVER considered a "treat"! It was always considered trash. Women in my family from a generation and two gen's back, did not exercise. There were exercise shows on TV for housewives, but I never heard of anyone actually doing the exercises. Walking was the main exercise, and maybe swimming. Maybe tennis once a week.
I don't know about fast food being a bigger part of the "average" person's diet today. I don't know anyone who eats fast food, except for a couple of cashiers at my grocery store, and a few other minimum-wage workers. I guess I don't know many "average" people? Who are those people? I thought it was mostly people with not much education who ate junk food, because they didn't know any better, or didn't have the money to eat healthfully. (Per many TV documentaries on malnutrition and obesity in the US, and occasional personal observation.)
Sometimes it's hard to have a conversation on C-D, because there's so much geographic variation, age diversity, social diversity, members have trouble finding common ground. I guess if you're talking about the "new obesity" (as I'll call it, for the sake of the discussion), then you'd be right, people are becoming unhealthy again. But I've never lived where obesity is a big issue, nor have I ever lived among people prone to obesity. The one exception is Hispanics here in the SW where I currently live. But non-Hispanics here aren't overweight or obese. They're healthy and eat healthfully, as does everyone I know on the West Coast.
I think you took what I wrote out of context. "Treat" simply meant something people didn't eat regularly, but on a few occasions. (I was speaking of previous generations, mostly with the 40s, 50s and 60s in mind, but not limited to that. Please realize the West Coast, is going to be different than the East Coast—where the majority of Americans still live—and will be different than the tastes/preferences/lifestyle of the Average American. Dunkin Donuts are around every corner of the Northeast. Fast food places such as McDonalds', Burger King, Wendy's etc. are in abundance on the east coast. It may be "trash" to you, and I'll agree, but they wouldn't be wealthy franchises and corporations today if people weren't going there more frequently than the past...healthy or not. I would say that your idea of Average is skewed to the generally healthier lifestyles of those on the West Coast. This isn't to say there aren't healthy Americans on the East Coast, but I'd expect obesity to be less of an issue out West than in the East, South, Midwest, etc. By the way, obesity isn't always obvious as some may think. Quite a few people may be "obese" and not realize it unless they compared their Body Mass index, etc. Most people would be shocked at what's actually considered "obese" (whether or not BMI is considered valid). Not sure why you're getting defensive about CD conversations, just because one disagrees with your personal experiences. It's fine to have different viewpoints as it broadens perspective.
I don't know about fast food being a bigger part of the "average" person's diet today.
When compared to the 40's-70's (the decades you mentioned), you don't know about fast food being a bigger part of peoples diets today? Really? You really don't know about that?
You don't know anyone who eats fast food other than a couple people who work at your local grocery store? Stop bullshhiting.
There was a time, I believe I may not have looked my age, but that time is long gone, I'm in my fifties and I look in the mirror now and I see a woman that has aged significantly over the past few years and I don't know what to attribute it to, maybe all the meds I've had to endure of late, but, yes, I see an older woman looking back at me these days. LOL. I still get the you look much younger than your age comments from people, but, I'm thinking they need to adjust their eyewear prescription or something.
At 40, could have passed for 30's at 50 still could have been 35-40, at 56 can pass for 50-60. Such is life. But it's really sweet when the younger people tell me I don't look a day over 42. Alrighty then.
I never ask people to guess my age, why would I want to be insulted nor will I play that game with others when they ask. Someone just last week asked me to guess their age, I'm so glad I didn't, because I was thinking her real age must be nearly two decades older than she turned out to be since she was so proud when she was asking me to guess. It wasn't fun pretending that I was shocked she was as old as she was, well actually she was younger than I thought.
So what's the big deal about appearing younger? Nothing more than an ego boost to our system. Some people put in a lot of time and work and take great care (obviously not I,) and they appreciate that others notice the effort, nothing wrong with that. At the same time, no point in obsessing over it there's always a better model coming up behind so no point getting bent out of shape about a few lines. Though I wouldn't mind having my 40 y/o neck back.
When compared to the 40's-70's (the decades you mentioned), you don't know about fast food being a bigger part of peoples diets today? Really? You really don't know about that?
You don't know anyone who eats fast food other than a couple people who work at your local grocery store? Stop bullshhiting.
When I grew up in the seventies, we ate fast food once every few months as a treat. It was such a treat to eat at Burger King, kids regularly had birthdays there. We all wanted to wear the paper crown and eat a burger with fries.
I seem to be aging better than my mom (I remember when she was the age I am now), but my lifestyle is totally different...I don't smoke, I don't have four kids. I don't have a lot of the stresses that have aged her.
There are less smokers these days then in the past, like even the 1960s people were always smoking even on TV. Pregnant women used to smoke, too because people just weren't aware of how unhealthy it is. Smoking not only does a number on the lungs but on people's skin (premature wrinkling), teeth (yellowing), and overall health (inflammation). Fortunately, smoking is less common today, but we still have to watch out for second-hand smoking. Many times I found myself walking behind a smoker and the downwind was pretty bad. They have a right to smoke all they like, I just don't like to breathe in their second-hand smoke.
Everyone tells me I look younger than my age of 39 (I'll be 40 in 16 days), and I personally believe that I do. I've never spent long periods of time in the sun, though. Plus I work out, eat healthy, and don't drink or smoke. It helps that my parents both look younger than their actual ages, too.
I'm the only person I know in real life who actually admits to looking younger than her/his age. Everyone else seems to believe they look their age or older.
Then why do people ask me about wife and kids. I am 21 years old for heaven sakes, not some middle aged guy in his late 30's. And I will not have kids because of personal fear that I will be a very bad father.
It's a tangential way of finding out if you are on the market or not.
I think a lot of people compare themselves to what the elders in their family looked like. I'm now older than my grandmother was when I graduated from college. But I dye my hair and Grandma's was white. I wear contacts and Grandma wore wire-rimmed obvious bi-focals. My Grandma never had glucosamin and NSAIDs to take for her arthritis. She wasn't raised on vitamins and she didn't have braces as a kid. She didn't know about strengthening her bones to stave off osteoperosis. She also didn't have sunscreen, facial serum, and skin creams to reduce wrinkles and hydrate her complexion. She didn't get mani/pedis. She didn't have the high-quality make-up that we women take for granted these days. And she considered it unseemly to be wearing the same fashions "young" women wore. So yes, I'd say I look far younger than Grandma looked when she was my age. But do I look younger than my peers, some of whom who have had "work done"? Hell, no.
Always been taken for younger but now Im in my late 60s I can see changes.... I was in a shopping centre or mall .. and saw this old crabbit looking woman coming towards me.. then noticed it was a mirrored pole...
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Smoking
