by David Allen Russell

Anyone that loves old movies can't help but notice that all of the players in them were of a slimmer kind. The women were all svelte slim and lovely, and the men were long lanky, and slim. I'm thinking of Cary Grant, Henry Fonda, Gary Cooper, Errol Flynn, Bette Davis, Paulette Goddard, and Joan Crawford, and many more. This of course was before the invention of television and fast food restaurants. A time when people actually had to peel and prepare their own potatoes and corn and cook their own meals. For entertainment most folks went out to a movie at a real movie theater, parked half a block away and walked, or hiked in the mountains, or played tennis, or badminton, or went dancing, and many even had jobs that included some sort of physical effort. Even the children walked to school all by themselves, rode bicycles or went out to play in the evening with friends.

Running and jumping were popular. Some played baseball or football without the aid of an electronic toy that did all the hard part for them. When you went to the market the clerk had to actually figure out the bill and calculate how much change to give back. This all required exerting some kind of energy and the result was that it kept you thinner, giving you less time to sit on your butt and just eat. But mankind was not satisfied with this and so new inventions were made to make life much easier. Of course there was television, and that put a few extras pounds on most people. The catchy phrase of "couch potato" was invented for a very good reason, to explain it in simple terms to the general population, that almost everyone was spending a hell of a lot more time just sitting doing nothing. Television trays were even invented then so that the viewers didn't actually have to get up to go to the kitchen or dining room to get more to eat. They could just put a big pile of food and drinks right there in front of them to make it less stressful to sit and view others actually doing something, and then they invented the remote control so that nobody had to even get up to change the channel. Now real progress was beginning to come into its full potential. Soon there were fast foods specifically designed and manufactured for the couch potatoes so that people didn't even have to prepare meals themselves, and soon thereafter computers began to be introduced to businesses and they started to take over the really hard work down at the factory so that it could now be done by the machines without the workers exerting as much effort. When the computers began being introduced into the homes of America, the citizens could actually order their stamps on line, and even send their mail over the Internet. No need for a trip to the post office, or even a walk to a mail box. Wives could even go shopping on line, avoiding that walk from the car to the mall, and the effort it had previously taken to walk around to the stores and carry the packages home. Now there was even time to watch TV and eat. Why, you could even order pizza delivered, so there was now no need to prepare the dinner, or cook. These helpful and innovative inventions created new industries and enabled people to eat more fast foods.

No longer was there any need for the kids to go outside and play. They can just come home from school on the bus, get on the Internet and play games until it is time to watch TV and eat. Has anyone noticed that diet books and shows became increasingly more popular, and that there has been an even greater interest in joining health clubs or gyms. I personally gained a few pounds. Unfortunately it all settled in my belly and my butt. Actually, I joined a gym, and today I was even thinking of going down there tonight to try and work some of it off, but I have a few letters to send off by Email, and there is this TV show I want to watch tonight, and a boxing match afterwards, and then the late show. Besides, I hate driving around and around the parking lot at the gym trying to find a parking place close enough to the door so that I don't have to walk too far.

By the way, I do have a new diet and exercise book coming out soon. Check it out at my web address. This requires no effort at all.

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