In general today we have set our standards lower for everything from customer service and job satisfaction to grades and quality of life in general. Over the past 20 years what is considered to be "average" had changed drastically to the point where the "average" of yesteryear is above average today and our current "average" is far below average.
For example the current average weight of a man or woman has increased by 20lbs since the 1960's. The average weight of a man in 1966 was 163 lbs compared to 191 lbs today, that is a huge increase! The average weight of a woman in 1966 was 140 lbs compared to 164 lbs today. While the average height in each category only increased an inch. (http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/healthcare/a/tallbutfat) It would be nice to think that people in the 60's were simply too skinny or Mal nourished but that is not the case. They were active, ate at home and did not have all the wonders of modern technology to keep them rooted to their couch or desk while their waist lines slowly increased. We have simply become immune to the face that our average is unhealthy in more ways than just our weight.
Our finances have become below average as well, in America the average household has $15,696 in credit card debt. (according to creditcards.com) By no means am I a financial expert but that seems like a lot of debt for the "average" household. In this age of excess where we consume more of everything whether we need it or not it weighs down our bodies as well as our wallets and our minds. Which in turn weighs us down at work.
In America we eat more, spend more and of course work more than any other country. Statistics say 85% of men work more than 40 hours a week and 65% of women work more than 40 hours per week. Americans work 137 hours more than Japanese workers per year, 260 hours more than British workers and 499 hours more than french workers. (20somethingfinance.com) No wonder we have not time to spend on ourselves!
The point that I am trying to make is that it is extremely easy to over consume and binge in this day and age in this country. So what if you are 15 or 20 lbs overweight, your neighbor is probably 30 lbs heavier than you so you can look at them and still feel good about yourself. So what if you are $10,000 in credit card debt, your boyfriend is probably $5,000 more in the hole than you. So what if you work 50 hours a week, the guy at the desk next to you never even goes home! If we are constantly comparing ourselves to the norm today we will never succeed and never meet our goals.
When I first began to lose weight people all said, "you weren't fat before, you didn't need to lose weight". By today's current average I was not but based on a healthy weight and body fat percentage for my height I was definitely overweight and I was feeling it. I was tired, crabby and addicted to caffeine. Once my weight loss became obvious I was even ridiculed for being "too skinny" at a size 4 which is actually a normal, average size. Not until people saw that I was adding muscle as well did anyone seem happy that I was losing weight. Do not let the "average" people in your life be your standard for comparison. Find those people who are "above average" and strive to be them. Find your own standard for yourself and strive for that. Settling for less is too easy and will get you nowhere.
Find the people in your life who can save money and not accumulate debt, the people who are "too skinny" and healthy, the people who go on vacation every once in awhile and find out what they are doing and how you can do it too. Don't settle for being overweight and in debt for the rest of your life. As a society we have lowered our standards in every aspect of our health and well being for the sake of keeping up with the Jone's.
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