well, i get where you’re coming from. and, trust me, the same people in college who sit on their butts stuffing their faces and chugging beer, are more likely to do those same things well after college. habits like that don’t go away just because one is out of school. while a couple of them might have an ephiany later on and realize that doing that is life threatening, others might not care or understand that and continue on. in no way do these people deserve empathy. what they need is a boot in the butt.
what’s happened in the US is that obesity is accepted, and when we see an older person who is 60 pounds overweight and with a cane or in a scooter we all tend to feel sympathy, when in reality, the person may be in that condition because they never exercised and are seriously overweight. so, early on they set themselves up to that destiny. or, when we see younger obese people, it’s not uncommon for them to be viewed as if they have a health condition and can’t help it, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I feel badly for anyone confined to a scooter or whatever, but if they tried hard enough they might be able to radically change their lives by exercise and a diet overhaul.
in this country, if you have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, doctors perscibe a medication. when in reality, the perscription should not be a med, but a diet overhaul, as well as a real exercise regimine. this, more than anything else, pisses me off.
but like some other poster said, I have a friend who is constantly depressed. I don’t feel sorry for her anymore because she manufacturers her own misery by choosing not to sleep, to overwork herself, chain-smoke, have negative love relationships, drink hard booze, and keep herself down in general.
it’s all about choices. as I get older I feel less sympathetic towards people who create their own misery. that’s probably why I don’t have as many friendships as I once did–I’m just incapable of bullshit.