Atsometimeinyourlife,youmayhaveastrongdesiretodosomethingstrangeorterrible.However,chancesarethatyoudon'tactonyourimpulse,butletitpassinstead.Youknowthattocommittheactioniswronginsomewayandthatotherpeoplewillnotacceptyourbehavior.Perhapsthemostinterestingthingaboutthephenomenonoftaboobehaviorishowitcanchangeovertheyearswithinthesamesociety,howcertainbehaviorandattitudeonceconsideredtaboocanbecomeperfectlyacceptableandnaturalatanotherpointintime.Topicssuchasdeath,forexample,wereonceconsideredsoupsettingandunpleasantthatitwasatabootoeventalkaboutthem.NowwiththepublicationofimportantbookssuchasOnDeathandDyingandLearningtoSayGoodbye,peoplehavebecomemoreawareoftheimportanceofexpressingfeelingsaboutdeathand,asaresult,aremorewillingtotalkaboutthistaboosubject.OneofthenewesttaboosinAmericansocietyisthetopicoffat.Unlikemanyothertaboos,fatisatopicthatAmericanstalkaboutconstantly.It'snottaboototalkaboutfat;it'stabootobefat.The"in"lookisthin,notfat.Intheworkworld,mostcompaniespreferyouthful-looking,trimexecutivestoselltheirimagesaswellastheirproductstothepublic.Thethinlookisassociatedwithyouth,vigor,andsuccess.Thefatperson,ontheotherhand,isthoughtofaslazyandlackinginenergy,self-discipline,andself-respect.Inanimage-conscioussocietyliketheU.S.,thinis"in",fatis"out".It'snotsurprising,then,thatmillionsofAmericanshavebeenobsessedwithstayingslimand"inshape".Thepursuitofayouthfulphysicalappearanceisnot,however,thesolereasonforAmericans'fascinationwithdietandexercise.Recentresearchhasshownthecriticalimportanceofdietandexerciseforpersonalhealth.Asinmosttechnologicallydevelopednations,thelifestyleofNorthAmericanshaschangeddramaticallyduringthecourseofthelastcentury.Modernmachinesdoallthephysicallaborthatpeoplewereonceforcedtodobyhand.Carsandbusestransportusquicklyfrompointtopoint.Asaresultofinactivityanddisuse,people'sbodiescaneasilybecomeweakandvulnerabletodisease.Inanefforttoavoidsuchafate,millionsofAmericansarespendingmoreoftheirtimeexercising.
