It goes without saying that one of you has an out-of-shape gamer friend. I knew more than a few back in my Magic: the Gathering days and still know a few now that I am into the tabletop stuff. This crosses all boundaries though - unhealthy lifestyles and inactivity are common enough in the US, especially among gamers. Not sure why, but we need to change that, but... how?
No doubt, it is always tough to tell someone they are fat. Unless you are either heartless or going the "tough love" route. Still, it isn't easy to approach anyone about their health, but if you care about them, it is never too soon to get them on a healthy track. I am a prime example! I didn't start taking fitness and proper diet seriously until I was in my late 20's, spending nearly a decade being a near-perfect specimen of poor health and laziness.
Be Positive!
I can't stress this one enough. If I had a dollar for every jerk who picked on me because of my weight, I wouldn't need to work for a living. You know what that does? Makes that person feel like crap and robs them of any impetus they may have had. Obviously, not always. Some folks might need a wake-up call, but I can attest to the fact that if you start making digs or jokes about someone's weight, they aren't getting a self-esteem boost or motivation to fix it, they just usually get depressed (possibly further) and maybe do some even more self-destructive behavior. Like depression-eating, which I did. When my "friends" (because real friends won't make fun of your serious weight issues!) got me down, cake certainly made me feel better... temporarily.
Be Supportive!
This plays into the first one, somewhat. It is all fine and good to be positive and say "Hell yea, make a life change!" and whatnot, but it is another thing to really get behind them and push. Not everyone is a self-motivator. Some people need that hard shove in the right direction. Are you a fit gamer? Do you have a gamer friend who is obese or frequently inactive and out of shape? How about asking them to join you in a new diet or hitting the gym with you. A buddy might help motivate them where encouraging words might not. Even if they just walk it out on a treadmill while you wreck the weights, that is better that sitting on their ass, doing entirely nothing.
Be Firm!
Is your friend eating a damn cupcake? Has your friend missed the last two gym days? Get on them and don't let them forget it. At this point, I assume they made the intention to change and should be following through. Don't let them slip. Obviously, be tactful about the first of those. Just be like "Hey, how about not eating that cupcake now and rewarding yourself next month after you see some more progress?" I know that might work on some. Others, you might need to just grab that cupcake and toss it in the trash. I know, harsh (which you would think runs counter to the first item, but it totally doesn't!). They might even thank you for reminding them that their life needs to change if they are going to get on the right track.
Obviously, not all of your friends will want to hit the gym or go on a low-carb diet, but sometimes the small changes count the most. Challenge them to not drink soda anymore! I did that and lost easily 10 lbs and honestly, I don't even miss it now 3 years later. Soda is one of those major enemies of health that somehow is pervasive among gamers. Get them to quit that and you go a long way towards helping them stop the insulin spikes and poor health that goes with it.
So ends this weeks wall-of-text and sorry for nothing fancy to look at, but I wanted the content to really speak for itself. If you have any stories about bringing your gamer friends into the gym or getting them to join you on a new diet - post them up! I want to hear them and have others see them, so we can build up a supportive mentality in this community.
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