Once again it was nice to get out for my 2 mile lunch time walk. The weather was a lot warmer than I had expected, so I was a little overdressed. On the way back it struck me that even though I generally try to behave in a logical fashion (Mr. Spock is my hero!), the reason for my recent success concerning diet and exercise has its origins in my personal vanity. Health concerns alone probably wouldn’t be enough for me to get off my butt and get some real results. It was my concern about looking good in various costumes that ignited my most recent successes. I became concerned about my weight about two years ago when I was approaching 200lbs, and since that time I’ve got it down to 175lbs on my way to the targeted 165lbs. More than half of that loss has come in the last 4 months, only after I got hooked on cosplay.
So health care professionals take note! Appealing to people’s vanity is likely to be a more effective way of changing unhealthy behaviors than logical arguments about improving the quality of life. Convince people, preferably at a young age, that good habits will make them more attractive, and more than half the battle may already be won.
Then on the return leg of my journey, I ducked into a Payless to look for shoes for my next costume! XD