is fandom hazardous to your health?

[davemerrill]

Over on the AWA message board there is/was a thread called "How old is too old for anime conventions?" It was kind of an interesting discussion among people ranging in age from 15 to 50. I wound up posting this:

I'm at the age where some of my fandom peers have spent 20 years in fandom to the exclusion of school, careers, and family, and as a result their health is shot, they're estranged from friends and family, and they have no marketable skills. Fandom doesn't come with retirement or health plans, and two or three decades spent on a couch watching TV or posting on the internet or hanging out in hotel function rooms leads to nothing but more of the same. Being a big name fan, and two dollars, will pretty much get you a cup of coffee and not much else.

You get to be our age and you're going to outlast a few friends, that's just how the law of averages works. But it occurs to me that fandom itself might be causing health problems. Anime fandom, the core of it, is watching TV, just sitting on the couch watching TV. Then there's sitting in front of the computer on the internet writing about what you just saw or chatting with somebody about what you just saw. Sitting at the workbench building a model kit, sitting at the drawing board drawing fan art, sitting at the sewing machine sewing a costume. It's a sedentary fandom, and at the best of times that isn't healthy.

Multiply that by a couple of decades and you can see the results - you can see some amazingly obese people at the conventions, we're starting to see the Rascal scooters make an appearance. I know fans who have had toes amputated because of diabetes. We're starting to see heart attacks and strokes, and some of those are fatal.

And yeah, nobody lives forever, that's part of the deal. But as somebody who's been involved in fandom for years, who's promoted fandom and cheerleaded for this stuff, I can't help but feel bad that I am encouraging young people to basically spend the next 20 years sitting on their ass. Waiting to see their blood pressure rise, waiting to see what kills them first.

Is it just me? Am I reading too much into this? Should we start encouraging young anime fans to balance out their TV watching with tennis or basketball? Do we need fitness PSAs in between anime screenings at cons? That would be kinda cool, actually.

[greg]

I think the nerdier pursuits typically attract the less-athletic types. I was never good at sports at all, which led to a lot of teasing, mocking, and bullying. I grew to hate sports as a result, and was much more interested in science fiction instead. I do exercise exercise, or at least I used to exercise regularly until my life completely changed by moving to another country. Stereotypical nerds usually come in two sizes: scrawny or beefy. I'm a bit overweight, but it's probably from poor eating habits and a lack of role models in that area in my family (both my parents are/were obese; Mom's gone now, but my dad is almost as thin as I am now). The same can be said about any sedentary hobby, like playing video games, reading books, sewing, or whatever. I took my fellow anime/gamer friend out for a hike last year and he got easily winded. I would've been able to trot the whole length of the trail, take a rest, and come back. But I don't think we even got halfway down the trail before we turned back.

This is reminding me that I need to figure out a regular exercise pattern for my new life. I've gotten thinner since moving to Japan, but there's a difference between shrinking fat and burning it.

[davemerrill]

I had the opposite experience, I moved to another country and lost weight. Moving from the suburbs to a city meant I did more walking and took public transit more often, and moving to Canada from the South meant portion sizes in restaurants were more reasonable. Seriously, we'll visit Georgia and we marvel at the restaurant portion sizes, which are just enormous in comparison. I've had my ups and downs but I have been getting more fit recently.

I was one of those sports-hating science fiction reading nerds myself, but I also enjoyed hiking, bicycling, the occasional BB gun war, etc. Both of my parents were and are pretty fit, they were on the tennis team, ran the Peachtree Road Race for years, etc. A big part of that for them was the social aspect; it was part of what their circle of friends did, so it was enjoyable rather than competitive.

It would be great if while we're pitching Japanese cartoons to easily impressed teenagers there was also some kind of way to sell them on getting off their ass every once in a while. I'm seeing too many photos of people my age that look like upended minivans.

Fortunately there's DDR; do they still do the DDR?

[greg]

Well, no, I have lost weight, but just not in the way I want to. Actually, on my last job in Arizona, I worked in downtown Phoenix and had a lot of free time with that job. I would walk around the downtown area nearly every day on my extended breaks, since I was not really supervised at all. I just had a boss who was responsible for me, and I reported to him once a week what I was doing. So I really got to walk around a lot, plus I took the train to work every morning.

I actually need to start biking to work, since 3 out of 5 schools I work at are convenient by bicycle. I lost a few pounds when I first moved here in January, but I think lately I've been enjoying my new life and pay range since I started this new job in April.

But yeah, I think it goes with the territory. People who enjoy more active hobbies will tend to live healthier lifestyles. I think that when fandom borders on obsession that it gets to be a bit too much. I can't imagine parking my ass in front of the TV for hours on end, but I suppose some people do this.

[Heero]

There are American football (probably international football (read: soccer) too) fans that have the exact same issue, since it's the same activities: sitting on a couch watching the game & talking about it online. I agree with others that it's all about a level of moderation and taking responsibility for yourself and your health. (altho, considering that some fans apparently can't even be bothered to take care of their HYGIENE, is it any surprise that they let their health suffer?) I think older fans have done a LOUSY job "teaching" the younger fans anything (including devotion to the material), so I dunno that any attempt to work something there will be met with any success.

That said, I've considered various anime related physical activites: "Eyeshield 21 Flag Football tournament", "Prince of Tennis Tournament" (or even the "Prince of (Wii) Tennis Tournament"), or even just a simple "morning run/5k at a convention", but finding time at a con to gear that up is always difficult. Maybe I'll try the morning run this year, heck if only for my OWN benefit (altho I'm in fairly decent shape according to my doctor).

But simply put, I don't think I'd say its an issue with American anime fandom so much as it's an issue with America. I love my country but we have a lot of lazy SoBs.

[davemerrill]

There are American football (probably international football (read: soccer) too) fans that have the exact same issue, since it's the same activities: sitting on a couch watching the game & talking about it online. I agree with others that it's all about a level of moderation and taking responsibility for yourself and your health. (altho, considering that some fans apparently can't even be bothered to take care of their HYGIENE, is it any surprise that they let their health suffer?) I think older fans have done a LOUSY job "teaching" the younger fans anything (including devotion to the material), so I dunno that any attempt to work something there will be met with any success.

That said, I've considered various anime related physical activites: "Eyeshield 21 Flag Football tournament", "Prince of Tennis Tournament" (or even the "Prince of (Wii) Tennis Tournament"), or even just a simple "morning run/5k at a convention", but finding time at a con to gear that up is always difficult. Maybe I'll try the morning run this year, heck if only for my OWN benefit (altho I'm in fairly decent shape according to my doctor).

But simply put, I don't think I'd say its an issue with American anime fandom so much as it's an issue with America. I love my country but we have a lot of lazy SoBs.

Very true, our culture simply isn't as active as it was fifty or a hundred years ago. We're still eating as if it was, though.

I don't think it's an issue with fandom per se, but I think we might have an opportunity to change the culture of fandom away from the unfit and the sedentary stereotype, and that would be a good thing.

I would like to see SOMETHING in place to at least get the word out to fans that they should engage in healthy activity every once in awhile. We've had some success with panels at AWA on topics like "don't get sick at the con", maybe we need a "keep yourself alive until next year" panel. What anime cons and clubs might do is start their own softball or soccer leagues, or something of that nature, something to get people active on a regular basis. Paintball or airsoft, maybe, nothing makes you sweat harder than maybe getting shot.

[davemerrill]

Well, no, I have lost weight, but just not in the way I want to. Actually, on my last job in Arizona, I worked in downtown Phoenix and had a lot of free time with that job. I would walk around the downtown area nearly every day on my extended breaks, since I was not really supervised at all. I just had a boss who was responsible for me, and I reported to him once a week what I was doing. So I really got to walk around a lot, plus I took the train to work every morning.

My first job in Toronto was a temporary position downtown, and I loved being able to take the streetcar to work, or even walk if I gave myself an extra 20 min. Then I got a new job that was out of the city in the suburbs, which means I have to drive. It's a pain.

[greg]

I think older fans have done a LOUSY job "teaching" the younger fans anything (including devotion to the material), so I dunno that any attempt to work something there will be met with any success.

I've always stayed away from the younger fans because I think they are annoying.

But simply put, I don't think I'd say its an issue with American anime fandom so much as it's an issue with America. I love my country but we have a lot of lazy SoBs.

Very true. So many Japanese kids here (and adults, too) assume that Americans are fat because they eat too much meat. That's not necessarily true. It's just that they don't get enough exercise to properly metabolize our food. Actually though, now that I am back and living and actually working in Japan again, I've noticed more overweight people these days than I remember seeing 10 years ago. This goes for the teachers as well as the students.

[Gunso]

Actually though, now that I am back and living and actually working in Japan again, I've noticed more overweight people these days than I remember seeing 10 years ago. This goes for the teachers as well as the students.

I've noticed it, too. From 5 years ago when I left and now, the portions have gotten bigger and they are eating a lot more bread than they used to. I went to Lawson for some beer tonight and wanted some ice cream to go with it, but I should have just gone with the 'tiny' individual Haagen Dasz - I grabbed a cheaper no-name parfait thing and it ended up being more than I wanted to eat, just too much sugary fatty tastiness.

I do see plenty of locals out jogging around town, so at least I don't feel out of place doing it as well, like I did when I lived in Korea.

[_D_]

It isn't just younger people. I've seen countless people here on crutches, with canes, etc. who are now grossly overweight in their 50s and up. They could probably get rid of walking helpers if they changed their lifestyles and dropped a bit of weight. I'm at 140 pounds. I walk 2 - 5 km. every day. I watch what I eat and don't overly indulge. Many of my friends though are 250+ and can barely move, yet 20 years ago, they were also 140 - 180 (healthy weight). Lots of diabetes in this area as well. Controllable through diet? Yeah...but most people don't want to change anything so it will remain a rampant problem. No easy way out which is what everyone wants...