Sunday, September 26, 2010

Celebrating The Celebrity As An Example

When I bring the Sunday paper in, I separate the newspaper sections from the ads giving me a small pile to read and a large pile immediately bound for the recycle bin. I save the Parade magazine for last, but not in a save-the-best-for-last kind of way. No, it's more of an it's-all-that-is-left thing that sometimes merits reading.

Well there wasn't much of anything in today's edition, but the cover article about "the incredibly shrinking Drew Carey!" and "the secrets behind [his] astonishing 77-lb weight loss" caught my eye.

In short, after many years of unhealthy living he set a goal last November to go from 262 to 170 pounds. The article goes on about his struggles and progress. By the way, there were no secrets to his weight loss. It's the same drivel about eating right and exercise. But in today's world what good is that without a fancy machine, some magic pills and the latest media-hyped diet, right?

It's great that he recognized what he needed to do and stuck with it. I'm happy for him. But this is the part that irks me.

While he acknowledges that he is wealthy enough to hire an array of specialists, he believes that anyone can find an affordable nutritionist and gym and join a local or online group like Weight Watchers. “You just have to be willing to reach out,” he declares.

And there is the gaping abyss between our world and his. Now had Drew Carey had been willing reach out to a local or online Weight Watcher's chapter and an affordable nutritionist and gym and got the same results as he did with the resources he could easily afford, then he could be paraded in front of average America as an example for them to follow.

1 comment:

Spokane Al said...

I guess it could have been worse. At least he did not attempt to provide us financial advice on frugal living while acknowledging that he is wealthy enough to afford personal shoppers, special foods flown in by private jet and car shiner uppers for his fleet of vehicles.