It's always astounding to me how people will spend $2,000+ on a flat screen TV, go out to eat every night of the week, and drop $70 a month on cable TV- yet insist they don't have the money or time to join a gym, hire a trainer or devote time to a workout. What's up with that?

We're a society that rarely goes without, which is obviously why we're the fattest and most unhealthy! Here are some rather interesting statistics regarding America's favorite pastime; TV watching:

Television Statistics
- According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube.

4 hours of TV watching, yet no time for a 30-60 min. workout each day? Come on.

- According to William H. Deitz, pediatrician and prominent obesity expert at Tufts University School of Medicine, "The easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set. Almost anything else uses more energy than watching TV."

Gee, this explains why our kids are obese.

- Millions of Americans are so hooked on television that they fit the criteria for substance abuse as defined in the official psychiatric manual, according to Rutgers University psychologist and TV-Free America board member Robert Kubey. Heavy TV viewers exhibit five dependency symptoms--two more than necessary to arrive at a clinical diagnosis of substance abuse. These include: 1) using TV as a sedative; 2) indiscriminate viewing; 3) feeling loss of control while viewing; 4) feeling angry with oneself for watching too much; 5) inability to stop watching; and 6) feeling miserable when kept from watching.

OK, that last statistic kind of made me laugh- but people clearly do have a problem with this issue. The point is, trading a few hours a week in front of the TV, computer or gadget for a few workouts a week will help change your life both physically and mentally. Now get off the computer and go workout!