Holidays a weighty issue
It shouldn’t tick me off but it does
– and every newspaper, television newsroom and magazine is to
blame. I’m talking about the stories that come out every year at
this time, that discuss
”
how you can burn off those unwanted pounds that you’ll put on
during the holiday season.
”
Holidays a weighty issue
It shouldn’t tick me off but it does – and every newspaper, television newsroom and magazine is to blame. I’m talking about the stories that come out every year at this time, that discuss “how you can burn off those unwanted pounds that you’ll put on during the holiday season.”
Then in January (and this is how this ties into the sports section) there is an avalanche of stories that come out about New Year’s resolutions to burn off pounds by working out and exercising more frequently at the local gym. (Just a few weeks from now new memberships signups will soar at places like Rovella’s and Gold’s Gym.)
During this time of year you literally can’t find a local or national news channel that won’t run a story like this. I’m sure even The Pinnacle will be guilty of such cutting-edge journalism. Hey man, I just work here.
What irks me most is that we’re talking here about maybe an additional 3,500-calorie intake over a six-week period. That’s an extra chocolate chip cookie a day.
Yet these 5 extra hot toddy’s, two extra desserts and a few second and/or third helpings of turkey and/or ham is enough to get people motivated to work out. They won’t work out the rest of the year when their spending half of their lunch times at the drive-in window of some major fast food chain, but suddenly grandma’s hot apple pie is the trip switch to get running on a tread mill.
For the amount of extra food you’re eating this time of year you could actually burn it off by just parking and walking into the fast food joint or taking the furthest away parking space from the mall that you’re going to Christmas shop at. Heck even the annual nightmare of putting up the Christmas lights will burn this “copious” amount of extra calories that the media loves to play up.
The other thing that irks me more is that all of these stories are done not because of a genuine concern over your health but they’re done as a way to fill up space. Instead, it goes something like this… Since most of the members of the newsroom use up their vacation time over the Thanksgiving, Christmas and/or New Year’s holidays none of the regulars are at work during these times to write or produce timely stories.
Enter a holiday food story. These Pulitzer Prize pieces can be written way back around Halloween and held for the optimum time – when no one else is around to write anything interesting. For the media, these stories are a cop-out. And for you, the reader, enjoy yourself.
Don’t freak out over having an extra piece of pie or one more glass of Egg Nog. Enjoy it. It’s the Christmas season and it rolls around just once a year.
