| Motionless in America |
| From ChangeOne |
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Ever wonder why folks in 1950s-era snapshots look so slim? Most of them (except perhaps Jack LaLanne) weren't pumping iron, training for a local 5K race, or dashing to the gym for Pilates class.
The truth is, everyday life was packed with hundreds
of activities that added up to a big calorie burn.
Among them, doing the laundry often meant using a hand cranked wringer to squeeze excess water out of the wash (most machines didn't have automatic spin cycles), and drying it meant hauling baskets of heavy, wet clothes, sheets, and towels outside to hang on the line; car windows opened only if you rolled them down; and the only way to tune in Ed Sullivan
on Sunday night was to get off the couch, cross the
room, and turn the knob to switch channels. Corner grocery stores were commonplace, making it convenient to walk over for milk or an ice-cream cone -- and most families had just one car, so daytime errands were often performed on foot. At work, communicating with coworkers required walking to their desks, and sending a message outside the company meant typing a letter on a manual typewriter, often with stiff keys that only responded to very muscular banging. The kids played outside, so moms and dads would wander out, too, to talk with the neighbors. Few families owned riding lawn
mowers, so cutting the grass entailed lots of pushing.
Now, fast-forward to the 21st century -- the era of the
motionless American.
Thanks to modern technology, we've engineered so many old-fashioned "inconveniences" out of our lives that we burn an astonishing 700 fewer calories a day now. You can deposit your paycheck, buy a cheeseburger, pick up prescriptions,
grab a cappuccino, and even (in some states) purchase a six-pack of beer at a drive-through. Remote controls operate our TVs and CD players; at the push of a button (a movement that burns a half calorie at best), you can wash the dishes, shop online, roll up your car window, heat dinner in the microwave
(no preparation required either), or e-mail your neighbor. Vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers are self-propelled. As the number of TV channels grows into the thousands, we're glued to the tube for hours each day -- entering a trancelike state that Harvard University
researchers say requires even fewer calories than reading a magazine, sewing, or playing a board game.
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