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Would you sacrifice 10 years of your life if you could have the "perfect" body? Why/Why not? 

Edit: To make things clear, the 10 years would come off at the end of your life. For example, if you were "supposed" to live 80 years and you decide to sacrifice the 10 years, you will now live only 70 years. Also, you would have this "perfect" body up until your death.

36 Replies (last)
Yes I would. For the person who said it takes 1-2 years to get the perfect body... Erm, I disagree, it depends on the person. It's been 2 years now that I've been calorie counting and working out, and today actually was the lowest weight I've been (105.2) and i still have flabby areas and things that could use major improvements.

I'd give up 10 years for that, oh yeah. I'm gonna end up giving $$$$ up to have things fixed in the future anyway.

yeah going with what S&S is saying i've done this for a month and lost over a stone (over 14lbs) i only have about 11 lbs to go. feel like im jinxing my self writing this and feeling like long term CC members are going to kill me

oh, absolutely.  there's no point to live long if you're unhappy.

I recognize that this is a zombie thread, but I'm gonna throw my two cents in and say yes, assuming that a "perfect body" also means healthy, mobile and disease-free. Those three things alone would make my quality-of-life years longer. The aesthetic boost would be the cherry on the cake.

Would I do it just for the aesthetic boost, meaning would I look like a 25-year-old hottie but still get the breast cancer, the incontinence, the arthritis, and the dementia, then my answer would be no. I'd rather have the extra ten years and take my chances with self-management to keep myself healthy and fit.

I don't love myself now, and I don't think having a perfect body would make me love myself then either. It'd probably help me start to love myself a bit though.

But I'm terrified of death so... I rather do what a poster said here, take a couple years to get my body's version of perfect and keep the rest of the years. Perfect body to me is a healthy BMI... the stuff that comes after (toning, caring for skin problems etc) are just a bonus.

So answer is no. :)

Original Post by sugar_and_spice:

Yes I would. For the person who said it takes 1-2 years to get the perfect body... Erm, I disagree, it depends on the person. It's been 2 years now that I've been calorie counting and working out, and today actually was the lowest weight I've been (105.2) and i still have flabby areas and things that could use major improvements.

I'd give up 10 years for that, oh yeah. I'm gonna end up giving $$$$ up to have things fixed in the future anyway.

Yes but how many years did it take you to first get unhealthy/fit before you started the 2 year weight loss (grats btw)? :) Takes time to undo the damage.

I definitely would...although I'd have to get my 'money's' worth out of the deal.  These are my conditions:

Perfect Body = my ideal.  Slim but athletic.  Perfection would also include clearer skin, saying goodbye to those stretch marks I've had since puberty, 20/20 vision, knee/joint issues would be gone.  Since I'm only 23 at the moment old age is a vague concept at best (It used to be 10 years older than my dad - he's now 60) and I think my life could certainly benefit from 'prefection.'  I want a body where I never need to worry about dieting or what I eat and I can go run and do sport like things whenever I want.

In short. Yes I would gladly give up 10 years - really I'm thinking of my children's generation here.  That's 10 years of social security that can be spent elsewhere....well that's assuming we'll still have social security.  But this is all in a dream world.  So the realist in me would say no - clearly I'm not all that into reality.

Yes. I would.

It's common amongst smokers to use this old adage: "They say smoking takes five years off your life. Well, fine, have them. They're the crappy years anyway."

I agree with what baggeth said about conditions. I want the body I want, and I don't want it to be ruined with other "imperfections" outside of what you can see.

Would I still accept the deal if it was a visual-only contract, and I still had the poor vision, knee pain, etc etc?

Yes. I would.

Have those ten years. They're the crappy ones anyway. I'd rather be comfortable and happy for the years that I have. That's why I'm here. We don't KNOW how long we get. But I sure as hell want to enjoy them as long as I can, and being fat and uncomfortable and "imperfect" in my own eyes...I'm not enjoying them to the max.

That's all. Call me sad if you want, I just don't think too many people who say no are really telling the truth, that's my opinion.

xo ari

ha ha, good question. altho i wonder if you would get a few different responses if say... its having the perfect body or being able to spend an extra 10 years with your favourite grandchild who grows up to find the cure for cancer because they saw you struggle with it.

and for those of you who say yes to the op's question, you'd better be working very very hard on achieving that perfect body right now if you are willing to give up some of your life for it. its all fine and dandy on a hypothetical question. just doesn't make any sense if you are not willing to put in the time & sacrifice it takes like going to the gym when you don't want (& training smart) & not eating that chocolate cake (& getting all the nutrients you need), but you say you'd take away 10 years of your life????

It's an interesting question.  But since there's no such thing as perfect and when people are handed things they can abuse them I'd have to say no.  Sure I'd love to wake up tomorrow be at my goal weight with no flab and in peak form like I was so close to being just over 2 years ago when I got hurt.

But I can honestly say that I totally took things for granted then.  I could go out and run 5 miles without blinking and would laugh how easy it was.  And then in the blink of an eye I got humbled with my injury.  I was a real **** I think in a sense because I went from running 5ks and higher in school, to the military and keeping up with it and doing more distance runs for fun.  Was set for my first half iron man when I got hurt.... starting from the ground up really took me down a peg.  I'm glad.  Because when I cross that line and finish (hopefully 2011) I'll know that I beat the injury by myself and I'm a stronger person.  Not that some magic power did it for me.  That would kinda devalue how special making a comeback like this is.

And besides.... I can't imagine losing 10 years off the end of my life.  I'd like to be able to be like my grandmothers and live to see my great-grandchildren.

god, no.  i wouldnt do it.  i just wouldnt.

This is a really interesting question. Because for all the time I spend weighing and measuring and stressing, plucking and tweezing and waxing and dyeing ... I may be giving up ten years of my life anyway.

Editing, 20 seconds after posting - I would not want to give up 10 years of my life. I think the point is I should not be so stressed about how I look now, I should enjoy ALL of my life and stop taking all the truly joyful things for granted.

.

Yes. Absolutely Yes. If that is a sad and shallow response so be it.

I've already given up alot of my life being depressed about my body, if ten years was all it took to be completely happy I would do it.

 

I don't think its sad or shallow, I think its more about how you feel rather than a thoroughly examined thoughts. Prioritizes change throughout your life, what can seem so important to you now can change. I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting the perfect body.  

in a heartbeat.  longevity to me is quite irrelevant, it's a very selfish decision, but no one has to live in your body only you are stuck with it for the rest of your life.

36 Replies (last)
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