Living in Fat City----肥胖记

Living in Fat City----肥胖记

If you live in Australia, the US, the UK, Canada or New Zealand, then you live in the same place as me; Fat City. Fat City of course, being more of a collective mindset, and a culture of eating too much and moving too little, than any geographical location, or 'literal' place. And while it's not a literal place, it is very real. If you know what I mean.

如果你是生活在澳大利亚，美国，加拿大或者新西兰，那么你其实就是和我住在同一个地方：肥胖国。肥胖国，顾名思义，人们有着共同的心态，与世界其它地方，无论是地理方位上的，还是相类似的其他"名义国"相比，吃的多，运动的又少。而且它不仅是一个"名义国"，它是真实存在着的。如果你知道我所指的话。

The weight of the average Australian increases by about 0.4kg (1lb) per year, every year, and it's a pretty similar figure in most Western countries. It's predicted that Australia (where I live) will be a totally obese population by 2050. There's a thought. What an achievement. This is the forecast, despite the fact that we are now more educated, more informed and more aware, than we've ever been before. The truth is, in 2008 we are constantly bombarded with more and more information and education about diet, lifestyle, exercise, obesity, general health and all its variables, yet still, we grow.

澳大利亚的人均体重每年，逐年增加0.4千克（也就是1磅），这个数字与西方大部分国家的体重数字极为相近。据预测，澳大利亚（也就是我住的地方）在2050年之前将变成一个彻底的人口肥胖国。现在是一个假设，但是数字多么惊人！这是一个预测，尽管我们现在都比以前更有素质，也更明智。事实上，2008年，我们一直被灌输了各种各样的，越来越多的信息和教育，在饮食方面，生活方式，运动，肥胖方面，还有在我们成长过程中影响我们健康的各个方面。

As an Exercise Scientist, observer of humanity, and ex-fat bloke, there are plenty of things which fascinate me about living in Fat City (the culture, the habits, the behaviors, the thinking, the excuses, the lies, the marketing, the trends, the media), but here's my short list:

作为一名运动学家，人性学者，也是曾经的肥胖者，有很多事情让我对肥胖国里的生活着迷（对它的文化，习惯，行为，思想，借口，谎言，市场，倾向，媒体），以下是我总结的一些简短列表：

1. We've never be more informed, educated, resourced or equipped to combat obesity, yet we've never been fatter. We live in the information age, yet we do nothing with it. I'm amused by those who suggest that obesity is primarily an education problem, when in reality, it is (for the majority) a self-control problem. Self control: yes, that crazy, outdated notion I've spoken of many times before. We are inundated with education but we choose not to learn. Real 'learning' would have resulted in a large-scale positive change in behavior, and of course, decline in obesity levels. It hasn't. In fact, if there was a positive correlation between the increase in education and the decline of global obesity, then we would see virtually no obesity at all. But… if we wanted to be cheeky and use 'selective science' (as many 'experts' do), we could actually conclude that the increase in education may have resulted in the increase in obesity. After all, there is a direct relationship: more education, more obesity. Yes I'm being sarcastic, but you understand my point. When it comes to diet and exercise, we know what to do, but we don't do what we know.

1．面对肥胖之战，我们从来没有像现在这样更有素养，更富有，装备更精良，因为我们也从来没像现在这样肥胖过。我们生活在一个信息化时代，但是目前我们却没利用它做任何事情。听到某些人认为肥胖主要还是一个教育问题的时候，我就乐了，事实上，这对大多数人而言是一个自制力的问题。自制力：其实就是我曾经提及多次的那古怪的，过时的观念。我们接受的教育很多，应接不暇，可是我们选择不学。真正的"学习"将会导致行为上大幅度的积极改变，当然也会降低肥胖程度，虽然目前还没有任何作用。事实上，如果教育程度的增加与全球肥胖度的降低有正相关的话，我们就不会看到任何肥胖现象了。然而….如果我们真要恬不知耻，而且利用'选择科学'（正如很多'科学家'做的那样）理论的话，我们就可以得出以下结论：教育程度的增加或许就是导致肥胖增加的原因。毕竟，这有一个直接的关系：接受的教育越多，肥胖度越高。是的，我的话语是有点尖酸刻薄，但是你明白我的意思。当提到饮食和运动的时候，我们都知道怎么去做，但是我们不会按照我们知道的去做。

2. I am constantly amazed at our ability (as a society) to complicate the simple. How many more books, programs and breakthrough weight-loss discoveries do we need? Really? Here's a wacky concept, increase energy expenditure (exercise, general activity) and decrease energy intake (stop eating so much crap). A little scientific I know, but hey, it just might work. Of course it's simple, but it requires genuine and consistent effort. Simple, of course, not to be confused with 'easy'. And therein lies the problem. Which leads me to point three.

2． 对于我们自己让简单的问题复杂化的能力，我一直都十分惊讶。减肥，我们还需要有多少书本，多少项目，多少突破呢？真的？这有一个观点，增加能量消耗（运动，一般活动）并减少能量摄入（停止使用垃圾食品）。我知道，它有一定的科学性，或许会起一些作用。当然这很简单，但是要求坚持不懈的努力。简单，不可混同与"容易"，这就存在一个问题，它也引导我提出下面的第三条。

3. Our obsession with the quick fix. We don't wanna work for those results. We want someone or something to do it for us. We are precious and lazy. We are addicted to the shortcut. Give me the pill, powder, potion, product or surgeon that will make me beautiful. I am allergic to sweat and hard work it's so '1985′. We are a culture obsessed with 'easy' and sometimes creating amazing requires a little effort. Or a lot. And we hate that. Sorry about that. I'll try and change it.

3． 减肥的权宜之计。我们可不想为获得这些结果而身体力行。我们想让其他人或其他东西来帮助我们达到这一目的。我们是金贵的，也是慵懒的。我们热衷于走捷径。给我药片，药粉，药剂，产品或者手术，让我变得漂亮。我讨厌流汗，讨厌辛苦工作，还是和1985年一样。我们一直沉溺在"简单"的文化氛围里，我们期待着有时只需一点努力就会获得令人惊讶的效果，或者得需要很多努力。我们讨厌那样。不好意思，说了这些。现在，我要努力改变它。

4. We love playing the 'blame game'. We would rather justify, rationalize, explain and blame someone or something for our obesity, than take complete responsibility for our fat selves. Of course it's not our fault. We are poor victims of situations, circumstances and genetics. So not fair. If what we do to our body (lifestyle, food, exercise) is the biggest influence on our level of fitness and fatness (which it is), then obesity is typically the result of poor decision making, rather than poor genetics. Even people with poor genetics can get in great shape, if they work with their genetics and manipulate the variables the right way.

4． 我们喜欢把责任推卸给他人。为了我们的肥胖，我们可以为某个人或某些事情辩解，让他们合理化，或者转而去责怪他们，而不是为我们的肥胖完全付起责任。当然这不是我们的错。我们是可怜的环境和基因的牺牲者。所以这是不公平的。如果我们对自己的身体（生活方式，食物，运动）所做的就是对我们的健康程度，肥胖度影响最大的，那么肥胖就是劣质决策的典型结果，而非劣质基因的典型结果。劣等基因的人如果可以和他们的基因合作而且合适的操纵变量，他们照样可以拥有很棒的身体素质。

5. I laugh when people get grumpy at me for telling the truth; what they don't want to hear."Okay John, it will only take two weeks to lose that hundred pounds and that huge gut you built over the last thirty years, and yes, it will be easy, fun and painless. You will definitely look incredible by next Tuesday. Wednesday, tops. In fact, just leave your body here; I'll do it for you."

5. 我很嘲笑那些不高兴我讲出真相的人，他们不愿意听到这些"好吧约翰，这将会花费你两周的时间来减掉你在过去三十年内长的300磅的赘肉，而且，这会很容易，其中会很有乐趣，而且不会有任何疼痛。下周二，最多下周四你就会看起来完全不一样啦。把你的身体留在这，让我们来替你完成这些吧！"

6. I marvel that people pay thousands of dollars per year to walk/run on a treadmill with a built in TV, radio and fan, when they could get the same physiological benefit (or better) heading out their front door and returning thirty minutes later. No driving to the gym, no petrol costs, no waiting for machines, no travel time.

6. 我很奇怪的是，人们每年会花费上千元在一个跑步机上走路或者跑步，室内还装有电视机，收音机，风扇，其实他们走到户外，30分钟之后再回来照样可以使他们获得相同的效果或者可能更好。不用开车去健身房，不用花汽油钱，不用等机器，也不用花时间旅游。

7. Our inability to finish things. We start jogging. We stop. We go on a diet. We go off it. We join a gym. We go five times. We make resolutions. We don't follow through. We lose fat. We regain it. We start. We stop. We get fit. We get unfit. We operate on emotion. We always find a 'reason' to give up. We experience momentary motivation, but we never truly commit. Real commitment ("I will do this no matter what") creates life-long change, not temporary weight loss or occasional fitness. We're great at starting, crap at finishing.

7． 我们没有能力去完成整个事情。我们开始短跑。停下来。节食。动身。参加健身房。我们去5次。制定出好的计划。但是我们不坚持。我们减下了体重，接着又恢复到了正常体重。我们开始，停下来。我们健身，然后又松懈下来。我们在动机上下功夫。我们一直都能找到好的理由放弃。我们经常是一股子减肥热乎劲，但是从来没有真正坚持下去。真正的坚持（不管怎样，我都会坚持）会让人更长寿，而不仅仅是会暂时的体重下降或者短暂的健康。我们往往都是虎头蛇尾。

8. The Victim. "But you don't understand my life, body, time restraints, problems, situation, history, challenges, injuries, medical conditions." Your problem isn't your body; it's your thinking. Get your mind in shape and your body will follow.

8．牺牲者会说，"但是你不理解我的生活，身体，时间限制，问题，解决办法，历史，挑战，伤害以及药物情况。"你的问题不在于你的身体；而是你的想法。将你的思想提高到最佳状态，然后你的身体会紧随其而行！