Eight Reasons We’re OK With Being Less Healthy Than Women Twice Our Age
Posted by: Catherine Strawn
Filed in:
news
12:30PM, Monday August 3rd 2009
If your mom is anything like mine, she’s in better shape than you are. Instead of feeling bad about having a mother who is more fit than yourself, know that this isn’t uncommon these days, according to a U.K. study of 4,000 people. Researchers found that the average 25-year-old consumes more than 2,300 calories a day, exercises three times a week, and consumes 12 types of junk food each month. The average 50-year-old, on the other hand, takes in 1,990 calories a day, does at least four different types of exercise on a weekly basis, and eats just one piece of junk food each week. But these findings aren’t all that surprising to us. Aren’t you supposed to be reckless when you’re young? After the jump, why we think it’s OK to be unhealthy in your 20s. [Marie Claire U.K.]
- Your metabolism can handle endless handfuls of cheese balls now, and you should devour them while you can.
- Without a family to support, you have the disposable income to order a lot of take-out. Heck, it might even be more cost-effective to do so than buying loads of ingredients at the grocery if you’re eating alone.
- Who has time to exercise when you meet friends for dinner several times a week?
- Not belonging to a gym can help you save money for when you retire and want to live at one of those all-inclusive places that offers yoga classes and has a pool.
- When you’re no longer working, you will fill your days by going to the gym. It would be a bad idea to burn yourself out on physical activity so early in life.
- With little responsibility other than your 9 to 5 (no yard to mow or kids to take to soccer practice), you can sleep off your hangover all weekend without disturbing anyone else’s life.
- If you don’t have your own washer and dryer, you’re saving money by not having to spend all those quarters washing workout clothes.
- You’re still young now and need to eat a lot to know what you like and develop your taste preferences. (Yes, you absolutely should order two desserts.)
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joyy
wrote on August 3 2009 @ 11:40 am: [report]
I know/hope this was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but this is remarkably stupid. Maybe in NYC it is cheaper to eat out if you’re single, but a) it usually isn’t when you do the math and b) even if it is, you’re paying for it with your health - learn to cook. Buildling healthy habits at a young age is important, and moderation should be a big part of that (re: #1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8).
Perceptible
wrote on August 3 2009 @ 11:44 am: [report]
Some studies also say that this is the first generation (in a long time) that statistically won’t live as long as their parents did because of poor nutrition and lifestyle choices. Yes, cheeseballs (etc) are super yummy (and aren’t awful in moderation) but overindulging will come back to bite you in the ass (in addition to growing it).
But I’m pretty sure this was meant to be somewhat silly and not taken seriously.
Coral
wrote on August 3 2009 @ 01:48 pm: [report]
I have always eaten food that is very healthy my whole life and I am always exercising. My whole family is that way, yet we still enjoy the occasional treat. Especially since my metabolism has always been great. But I think it’s more of the family you grow up in and the type of nutritional education you receive.
GreenAura
wrote on August 3 2009 @ 02:02 pm: [report]
I think by the time you are 25, you need to seriously start thinking about what you are taking into your body. Case in point: my mother. She was a horrible cook and we grew up pretty poor. That meant fish sticks and tater tots and canned veggies most days of the week. When we could afford it, we had pizza or fast food. By the time I was 15, I was so sick of how I looked (chubby) and how I felt. So I got a job and started buying and making my own meals—no more canned veggies yay!! 12 years later, I look and feel better than I ever have and I have my mothers mistakes to thank for that. Well, she remarried a successful man and can afford to buy whatever she wants to make wonderful meals, but she eats frozen dinners every single night. Its awful! I notice that she isn’t aging very well, and that is another motivator for me to keep eating healthy.
pryce2
wrote on August 3 2009 @ 05:52 pm: [report]
In my anatomy class, one of my profs mentioned that 25 is the age when your metabolism starts to die. Therefore, I eat as healthily as I can right now in my early twenties. With luck, the age weight won’t force me out of my clothes.
But I used to lifeguard at a country club pool and there is nothing more self-esteem wrecking then all the stay at home moms who can afford to pawn their kids off to a nanny and sculpt their abs all day. Ah, to have a personal trainer and the disposable income to only eat organic.
Cilla
wrote on August 3 2009 @ 07:43 pm: [report]
Despite our unhealthy lifestyles (crazy diets, smoking, drugs, overworking..etc) Gen Y is actually at the top of the life bell curve, it’s the generation that’s currently in elementary school that is on the downward slope of the life curve because of issues such as childhood obesity, additives in foods, weakening of our immune systems becaues we’re such germaphobes (hand sanitizer anyone?)