Humans are getting fatter.
Health studies indicate approximately a third of the planet’s population has gained weight during the pandemic. Generally, to blame are changing work habits, the disheartening cancellation of fun, and the desire to cocoon, often finding comfort in food. It’s a problem, with widespread negative psychological and physical impacts. In fact, 72% of Americans report they are unhappy with their bodies and are on a diet right now.
Diets aren’t a new thing though. The low-carb craze first emerged in 1825 and more widely as the ‘Banting Diet’ in 1863. The early 1900s saw the emergence of more extreme and often dangerous Fad Diets including the Tapeworm Diet (yes, ingesting ‘sanitized’ tapeworms), the Arsenic Diet (not joking, and yes, people died), and later, the Hollywood Diet – where hopeful heavies consumed nothing but grapefruit juice.
Ultimately, the science is simple – it’s calories in versus calories out. A deficit in what’s consumed daily against the energy spent in a day (through diet and exercise), leads to weight loss.
Sticking to it is difficult though. The temptation is to ‘try’ to be good, then focus on the scales every morning and be thrilled (or frustrated) by the downward (or upward) movement of that magical number. Concentrating on the scales is not the path to success. Concentrating on what you put into your mouth and having the discipline to move is the only way to hit goals.
Too many stations and shows get this wrong. They obsess over ratings and research instead of their show each day. Energy is wasted on what the results will be or could be or might be instead of pouring that energy into what else can be done on the show, on the next topic, or in the next break.
The secret is to fixate on the process, not the result.
Forget about the ratings – they will come. If you are creating the best possible content each moment, each day it will work. No different to the scales moving if you eat right.
There is a buffet of entertainment choices now. So, stand out. Prep hard. Plan even harder. Make noise. Be seen. Build memorability. Create moments. Be colourful. Develop drama. Break patterns. Be predictably, unpredictable. Be authentic. And most importantly – own the day. Oh, and maybe cut down on the cake.