I was listening to NPR the other morning as I was late to work. They were reporting on a recent study that echoed so many I've heard before.
It seems that, as recently as 1995, when people were polled about their preferred activities and environment, more than half of Americans self-identified as "outdoor" people. They much preferred to participate in sports than watch them on television. Their favorite place to read a book was in a lawn chair in the back yard. They would rather go on a camping trip than vacation in a swanky hotel. They preferred backyard bar-b-que to meeting friends at a restaurant. They preferred to volunteer to be a stage hand at a play, rather than sit and watch a movie.
But no more. Now, similar surveys show that as many as eighty percent of Americans self-identify as indoor. Favored activities have become almost fully sedentary. Even while the population has moved indoors, indoor activities have declined: even those who claim to exercise at a health club are now indicating their favored spot in that health club is the hot tub, not the aerobics room. Health clubs are reporting same: while they shrink the amount of exercise equipment, they are increasing the size of their juice bars and adding alcohol and high-carb treats.
Anybody who was an adult in 1980 can tell you the highly visible difference. In 1980, you might see an obese person once a week if you went to shopping malls and did other activities where there were crowds. Nowadays, it is a rare trip to a mall where you don't see obese people.
But there's more to it than that.
These studies ask a lot of questions and then they correlate the behaviors of individuals with their results. It is not a surprise that those who most self-identify with being indoors are also the ones whose reported weight and height indicate they are on the obese end of the scale. It is less obvious to some (but well known to marketeers) that those who self-identify as indoor are also the ones with higher amounts of consumer debt, lower credit scores, more prone to purchasing things based on television and internet advertising, and in general, living a life that appears based on materialism, rather than socializing.
The socializing aspect was, perhaps for me, the biggest surprise. Those who self-identify as being "outdoor" types, in fact, experience more social events than those who self-identify as indoor. The indoor types are more likely to "socialize" with Facebook and other online forums. If they leave the house to "socialize", it's to bars and restaurants, with their high salt/fat/sugar foods. The outdoor types are more inclined to Bar-B-Ques, house parties and simply dropping by a friend's house with a beer or snack. The differences in frequency of in-person social interactions are staggering, too. Those who self-identify as "indoor" report approximately three to five social events per month, while those who self-identify as "outdoor" report the same number, per week.
This results in a double whammy for life expectancy as well. In medical study after medical study, it is found that the single most significant criteria for predicting your longevity, outweighing even your genetic history, is the existence of a strong and frequent social life. This explains why drinkers, even heavy drinkers, live longer, on average, than teetotalers: Drinking is usually a social activity. Ditto church-goers: they tend to develop strong social ties in church. So those who self-identify as indoor not only lose out on the social, but the higher obesity rates noted in the "indoor" people have clear connections to those diseases that tend to shorten life: heart disease, type II diabetes, and cirrhosis of the liver, non-alcohol induced.
And finally, the culture of the outdoors seems to still hold that magic of yesteryear. Those who self-identify as "outdoor" think nothing of meeting a complete stranger any time and any where. They trust people. Their responses to "what would you do if you knew you would not get caught" show a much higher level of ethical concern. To the question "If you really needed it, and you know it would hurt nobody and you could not get caught, would you steal say $100 to feed yourself or your family". Those who self-identify as "indoor" said yes 95% of the time; those who self-identify as "outdoor" said "yes" only 10% of the time. "Outdoor" people inherently trust other people more - and are more trustworthy. They go through fewer romantic relationships, the ones they have last longer, the divorce rate is lower...and so on.
So, shut off the TV, put on the running shoes and find a fun trail. Drop the cable TV subscription and get a parks pass. You'll have more friends, more love, enjoy parties more often and live longer! Quit reading this blog and go for a walk.
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