Labels

Have you ever noticed a car covered in bumper stickers? You read the stickers, like some of them, completely disagree with others, and in the span of 60 seconds or less have made a judgement about the person who owns the car. Perhaps none of the stickers are controversial, they only give you an idea of the interest of the person driving. I recently saw this truck at a gas pump. The license plate was from a running club, one bumper sticker said 26.2 and the other JFK 50. Clearly, the driver was a runner. Why do people label their cars, and themselves, and what do those labels mean? Are they bragging? Are they seeking a community? Are they trying to make a political statement?

Could we change our labels and, by doing, so change our lives? Imagine you are someone who desperately wants to lose weight. Imagine you are obese and all of the clothes you wear are big and dark to camouflage the fat. Contrast this "label" with the ones donned by athletes. We've all seen the healthy, fit looking people running about during our weekend errands. What would those people look like covered in yards of fabric and all dressed in black?

What if the people who wanted to lose weight wore athletic shoes and clothes during their weekends out? Would they be more apt to adopt the behavior of those more athletically inclined? A quick Google search revealed several theories about how clothing choices impact children, especially teens. I found nothing compelling on adult behavior and clothing choices. I think there is a theory to be studied in this tiny idea. Suggest diet and exercise changes to a group of people, one half of them are given athletic clothes and the other half told to wear their normal wardrobe. I suspect the athletic clothes group would show greater weight loss after a few months.

As you choose your wardrobe for tomorrow, take a few moments and ponder. What labels do you wear?