Fat Vs Fit

Last week, I happened to watch a Chat show on NDTV, where the topic was "Fat Vs Fit". It’s seemed a pretty bland topic, considering the fact that being fit has proven by many scientific studies to prevent various lifestyle diseases and thus prolong longevity. Not just quantity, but also the quality of life.

But then, what is quality of life, It depends on one's priority in life. If looking, feeling good and being attractive is one's priority, then fitness is important...But what if the priority is given to gastronomic pleasures, then one is surely going to enjoy eating and eating (Quality of life) until one of the killer diseases knock on the door.

The discussion was made interesting by the outrageous comments of the participants. Let’s see what a celebrity like Pooja Bhatt had to say...Diseases are caused only by genetic factors, and the fitness and physique is also solely decided by genes. So don’t care a hoot to what others say, eat to your hearts content. She completed her stand with a final skirmish,” Bones are for dogs, Men like meat"

The main argument of the fat participants was that they are happy the way they are and that they are healthy. Scientific studies have consistently proven that there is a direct correlation between fitness and longevity (Quality life). So the claim that they are healthy is simply their self-image, which is false. Now let’s go to their central argument that they are happy the way they are. Although the pro-fat participants all rallied around this point, it was anybody’s guess who they were trying to convince, others or truthfully, themselves.

There is a difference between happiness and being satisfied in the belief that happiness is Utopian. Most of the participants had taken the easier second route and decided that managing diet and working out is too tough for them. So they decided to be happy eating and accept the consequences of the behavior.

It has been seen in various studies, if other things being equal, the youth always get a better deal. A visit to any matrimony or social networking site can see the fact that fit, slim people are more in demand than the other extreme. Other things being equal, a prospective employer will always go for the fitter/healthier applicant than a fatter one. This is simply because a bad body signals a person who is not willing to take responsibility for oneself, or the first impression he/she gives to others. How can such a person be given a position of responsibility...?

So however much we argue, it remains true that looks do matter, and slimmer, fitter and hence attractive people always fare better than others in all the walks of life.