Laziness – a disease?

Yawn….I have got to do this. So with great difficulty, I have dragged my feet to my desk, listlessly hunted for paper and pen to write down my thoughts on ….ummm….laziness. I am taking the trouble to write on ‘laziness’ because I believe that a lazy person is the most competent one to write on the topic. Well, here goes…

“Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.” – Jules Renard

As I start writing, I who had begun with a half-reclining position am now sitting straight, my writing has become more brisk, my words more legible, and thoughts are running even ahead of my writing. So I have learnt something even before finishing penning down my thoughts – When you feel you are a bundle of lazy bones, push yourself somehow to start the work at hand. The interest, mood and energy to do it will pick up in the course of the work.

The reason for ‘laziness’ is to pop up as a subject? A team of doctors of Imperial College and University College, both in London want to classify ‘physical inactivity’ as a disease. When I read this, I panicked for a moment. It is bad enough that I am lazy, now I may have to bear the stigma of being diseased!

Jokes apart, I feel that the doctors are right in their demand. They have put forth that obesity has already been classified as a disease by the World Health Organisation. And obesity is partially the result of laziness, laziness to exercise. “Money is pumped at treating the symptoms of physical inactivity – at obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease – but not at the root cause,” is what the British doctor Richard Weiler has to say.

We all exhibit some signs of sloth everyday- laziness to walk, work, exercise, to do household chores. We prefer to take the car, take the elevator, let the maid do even the simplest of jobs while we lie languorously on the couch watching television munching on junk food. If we do this on a regular basis, what is the result? Obesity.

Not that all lazy people are obese. You may be genetically wired to be lean, you may be a poor eater or you may be on a diet to make up for the kilos gained due to your laziness. But don’t be under the mistaken assumption that you will escape the ill-effects of habitual lethargy. Sooner or later, other lifestyle diseases, aches and pains will crop up which will refuse to go away.

When we are dealing with the topic of ‘physical inactivity’ it will not be amiss to talk about ‘mental inactivity’ as well. Very often mental lethargy makes us avoid using those little grey cells. For a simple calculation, we need a calculator. We set reminders on the cell phone to remind us of every little thing from birthdays to shopping lists.

Keep in mind that a machine when unused rusts away, likewise our bodies and brains. So exert yourself physically and mentally to stay healthy.

Well, writing this has been cathartic. Disease or not, no more laziness for me; off I go for a walk.

Author: Pratibha Shenoy (Bangaluru)