Apathy and lucky escapes.

Why are people so bloody unwilling to listen to professionals? Why do they take the easy route? Why do they think they're sodding immortal?

Say you thought you had something medically wrong with you. It turns out you don't have the serious thing you were worried about, but instead you have something else wrong with you which can be easily fixed through better diet and more exercise. What do you do? You make a deal with the doctor that you'll do more exercise (any exercise, actually, since you do absolutely fuck all, but you don't let him know that) if he gives you statins.

On the surface, this is a great idea. Exercise, statins. Problem (hopefully) solved. Except that as you nod and smile and say "oh yes, 30 mins exercise 5 times a week, yes, of course", what you're actually thinking is "ha, no bloody way...I'll just rely on the drugs, that'll be fine".

And when someone else later suggests that you actually bloody DO the exercise, you whine that you don't have time to exercise. Except that in December you spent about 20 hours carrying out a hobby that does not raise your heart rate enough to constitute exercise. That's about 10 hours more than the 30 mins of real exercise 5 times a week would take up. So clearly you do have time.

It's called sacrifice.

And then you come out with the classic line "But I can't". I have said this myself, before, and it was pointed out that I am not that special. I am a human and am built to move, to raise my heart rate and function properly. I can exercise. So can you.

"But I don't like exercise." How do you fucking know?! When was the last time you exercised? Oh, when you were 16? Well, that's only 42 years ago, I'm sure you're exactly the same person you were then! Maybe in 42 years something's changed. Maybe it was simply the classic dislike of team sports that you were forced to try at school. There are SO many other ways of getting fit that don't involve running round a freezing cold field in shorts kicking a bit of pig-skin. Don't be so ignorant.

"Oh, we'll probably buy a cross-trainer or something." Don't fucking bother. You won't use it, just like you won't change your diet, you won't drink less, you won't stop to wonder why the doctor suggested you do these things. What his motive might have been. Oh, I don't know, maybe it could be an attempt to stop you dying?

Oh, not a big deal. Fair enough.