My Fight Against Man Boobs

by Won Kim

My three-year-old son said the darndest thing to me a few months back. We were wrestling around on the ground, and as he playfully pushed me on my chest, he stated, "Daddy, you have boobies."

Now, I can assure you that I'm not in need of a bra anytime soon (or if you're a Seinfeld fan, "the bro" or "the manssier"), but I'm definitely starting to get a little soft around the edges. The fact that my son likened my chest to a mammary and not a rock, was a clear reminder that I needed to turn some attention to my health. I don't know about you, but the last thing I need is my newborn looking at my chest and making sucking noises. 

Here are some things I noticed as I quickly took an eagle's-eye view of my life:

- I work long hours
- I eat large servings for my meals
- My meals usually consist of non-nutritional items, but they sure are tasty
- The only "Gym" I'm familiar with is a good friend of mine (who actually prefers to be called Jimmy)
- I lack the will power and motivation to actually get in shape

After reading that list, I felt like a lost cause. Not only do I love eating fattening food, but I feel like I don't have enough time in the day to devote myself to getting back in shape. And even if I did have the motivation to move my schedule around, I don't feel like I want to spend the precious hours I reserve for my kids at a smelly gym. Let me put it this way, my idea of "being fit" is if I can still fit into my jeans from a year ago.
Then a good friend of mine, who has far larger breasts than me, stated how he recently signed up for a gym. Amazed at his newfound affinity toward exercise, I asked him what in the world got him off his rear end.

"My kids. I want to see them for a long time," he answered.

That one statement almost had an instantaneous impact on me. As a dad, one of our great passions is to watch our children grow up and experience life with them. That could be a hard passion to fulfill if we are perpetually sick, consistently inactive or to say it candidly, gone. Now, I'm not trying to create a manifesto on why obesity is harmful nor will I group all out-of-shape dads in one universal category. Staying healthy is not an easy thing to do, and oftentimes, heredity and other unforeseeable factors play a role in a person's ability (or inability) to control their health. That said, it is very, very important to be conscious of our health. I may not be a doctor, but I'm pretty sure that a healthy lifestyle plays a role in the longevity (and enjoyment) of your life.

Here are some questions to ask that may produce answers that will serve as indicators on whether your health is directly impacting your children:

- Do you cut playtime with your children short because you simply don't have the energy?
- Have you noticed yourself becoming more irritable toward your kids because you are constantly feeling under the weather or sickly?
- Have you been avoiding a visit to the doctor's in fear of receiving unfavorable results?
- Have you noticed your children picking up on your unhealthy habits?

It's funny that I've only just realized that the time I invest into my health will have a direct impact on my durability to be there for my children now and for a long time to come. So, recently, I've begun to gradually adopt a healthier lifestyle, beginning with the simple addition of exercising on a regular basis. I'm still trying to work on creating a healthier diet.

Trust me, it's not easy, but I'm doing this because I want to see my kids for a long time. That, and I dislike the idea of having man boobs.