Atsometimeinyourlifeyoumayhaveastrongdesiretodosomethingstrangeorterrible.Howeverchancesarethatyoudon'tactonyourimpulsebutletitpassinstead.Youknowthattocommittheactioniswronginsomewayandthat

　　Atsometimeinyourlifeyoumayhaveastrongdesiretodosomethingstrangeorterrible.Howeverchancesarethatyoudon'tactonyourimpulsebutletitpassinstead.Youknowthattocommittheactioniswronginsomewayandthatotherpeoplewillnotacceptyourbehavior.

　　Perhapsthemostinterestingthingaboutthephenomenonoftaboo(禁忌的)behaviorishowitcanchangeovertheyearswithinthesamesocietyhowcertainbehaviorandattitudesonceconsideredtaboocanbecomeperfectlyacceptableandnaturalatanotherpointintime.Topicssuchasdeathforexamplewereonceconsideredsoupsettingandunpleasantthatitwasatabootoeventalkaboutthem.NowwiththepublicationofimportantbookssuchasOnDeathandDyingandLearningtoSayGoodbyepeoplehavebecomemoreawareoftheimportanceofexpressingfeelingsaboutdeathandasaresultaremorewillingtotalkaboutthistaboosubject.

　　OneofthenewesttaboosinAmericansocietyisthetopicoffat.UnlikemanyothertaboosfatisatopicthatAmericanstalkaboutconstantly.It'snottaboototalkaboutfat;it'stabootobefat.The“in”lookisthinnotfat.Intheworkworldmostcompaniespreferyouthful-lookingtrimexecutivestoselltheirimageaswellastheirproductstothepublic.Thethinlookisassociatedwithyouthvigorandsuccess.Thefatpersonontheotherhandisthoughtofaslazyandlackinginenergyself-disciplineandself-respect.Inanimage-conscioussocietyliketheU.S.thinis“in”fatis“out”.

　　It'snotsurprisingthenthatmillionsofAmericanshavebecomeobsessed(着迷)withstayingslimand“inshape”.ThepursuitofayouthfulphysicalappearanceisnothoweverthesolereasonforAmerica'sobsessionwithdietandexercise.Recentresearchhasshownthecriticalimportanceofdietandexerciseforpersonalhealth.Asinmosttechnologicallydevelopednationsthelife-styleofNorthAmericanshaschangeddramaticallyduringthecourseofthelastcentury.Modernmachinesdoallthephysicallaborthatpeoplewereonceforcedtodobyhand.Carsandbusestransportusquicklyfrompointtopoint.Asaresultofinactivityanddisusepeople'sbodiescaneasilybecomeweakandvulnerabletodisease.InanefforttoavoidsuchafatemillionsofAmericansarespendingmoreoftheirtimeexercisingeveryday.

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