A Lazy Gene--Say It Ain't So

I was chagrined to read a blurb in the August/September 2013 copy of the AARP Magazine about “laziness.” I recognize that folks have differing motivations and mixed feelings about being active, but I have always stood firmly against using the negative term “lazy” regarding people who don’t take care of their bodies. And I still do. From the AARP article: “A new University of Missouri study shows that rats with sedentary parents are less motivated to run on an exercise wheel.” And, “After studying their brains, we found that running was less enjoyable for these rats than for those with active parents,” says study author Frank Booth, Ph.D. Okay, so there’s a hereditary link toward or away from enjoying body movement--at least if you’re a rat. I’ll buy that there even may be a similar genetic inheritance relating to finding pleasure from moving your body in humans. But, why call it laziness? Clients often complain that “laziness” prevents them from eating well, exercising or taking better care of themselves. These same people bust their butts dawn til dusk at work and/or with family and don’t stop for a moment. Not a one of them would ever be called lazy because they do so much for others. Lazy is a pejorative term which we hear starting in early childhood. We’re told never to be lazy before we understand what it really means. Growing up, lazy often means not doing something our parents want us to do, a something which may or may not be benefi...
Source: Normal Eating - Category: Eating Disorders Authors: Source Type: blogs