New Resolutions

By now, most of our New Year's resolutions have crashed and burned. It happens to the best of us. We set out on a quest to lose weight and get into shape, thinking this year is going to be different. This year, we're going to make it happen. But somewhere along the way, we end up recognizing that our goals might have been a little too far-fetched, or maybe we end up throwing up our hands altogether because we feel defeated.

If we would all stop focusing entirely on losing weight, the extra weight we might be carrying around wouldn't seem so bad. This sounds like common sense, but when we are faced with today's media on a daily basis, it's hard not to think about it twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The weight loss industry is indeed one of the most lucrative industries in our country. According to Business Week, we spend 40 billion dollars on it annually. Imagine what we could do with this money! And no wonder! Commercials, internet advertisements, billboards, and magazine advertisements are flying at us like crazy, making us feel like something is wrong with us if we're NOT on a diet. Have you been in America right before January rolls around? It's impossible to walk into a store without it hitting us right in the face. Have you noticed how stores move all of their exercise equipment and athletic clothing close to the entrance so it will be the first thing we see? And have you recognized that at some stores, all the newest, we-promise-this-will-work-this-time weight-loss products are right at the front so we will walk directly by them, convincing ourselves in the process that we need them? It's scary! It's psychology!

No, it’s marketing!

The majority of the time, the media doesn't care if we are fit and healthy; they simply want our money. If these products and programs worked, these companies wouldn't need paid celebrities to endorse them, nor would they have to filter massive amounts of advertising through our televisions and magazines each and every day. Do you ever see commercials for good old-fashioned exercise and healthy eating? Seldom if ever. In today's advertising, companies simply show a picture of a size-negative-four supermodel who immediately causes us to question everything about ourselves. If it affects us, they've done what they set out to do. After we wallow in criticism for what seems like hours, we pound our fists on our tables and vow to make a change. The first thing that pops into our heads? I need something fast...a quick fix...something that will change me as soon as possible because obviously I'm not what I'm supposed to be. The next thing we know, we're riding home with that very product (and an empty wallet).

Wouldn't it be amazing if people across the county stood up and said, "We have had enough!"? Wouldn't it be great if we funneled our money into things that promoted a positive, healthy attitude about ourselves instead of pouring all the money we believe our insecurities are worth into a 40 billion dollar industry that's going nowhere?

Even though January 1st has come and gone, we can still make positive resolutions. Instead of buying the newest diet pill, shake, or bar...instead of buying that new workout machine that will eventually become a very complex looking clothes rack/dust collector, we could purchase some new hiking boots to scale a mountain, sign up for a race, or buy a new tent to go on a family camping trip. We could even join a kickboxing class, buy a canoe, or finally take off and go on that white-water rafting trip we've always wanted to take.

The year is still young, and there's plenty of time to get out there and discover all this world has to offer besides just another quick fix. Let's make our experiences last a lifetime. After all, life is all about relationships and memories, and to make these flourish and grow, sometimes we have to slow down, take the first step, realize there's more to life than weight, and resolve to start living happily...and a "quick fix" isn't going to get us there any faster.