New year resolutions

Based on certain observations I have made in the last few days, I have concluded that the most common new year's resolution in the United States must be to loose weight. Yes, I know. It should be obvious based on just looking around at people and estimating their average size. But in order to implement my new year's resolution, I will tell you anyway.

These days, the only time I get to watch TV is when on the treadmill at the gym. And what channel I end up watching is entirely determined by what TV I end up standing in front of. I try for CNN but am mostly unsuccessful these days because for some reason it is only on 1 TV at my gym. So this week I have watched MSNBC, STYLE, A&E and ESPN respectively and not at the same time of the day as I go whenever I feel like it. And every time, at least 60% of commercials I saw (I only counted today, but am extrapolating for the other days I did not keep track) was for either a diet like Nutrisystem or some exercise product like the rather obnoxious looking ad for Shake Weight.

Then there is the fact that my gym is full of people that I have mentally labeled "new year resolution type". They are identified by having two or more of the following attributes: a) they ask questions like how the towel service works or where the day use lockers are, b) have long conversations about weight loss citing their own past experiences or those of others they know, c) show up wearing clothes that are decidedly uncomfortable if you are going for a primarily cardio work out which most of them do.
Let us hope for the future of the health care system that most of these people stick to their resolution!