I was at a seminar recently which was really boring... so I ended up spending most of my time reading a study done on why people are active, or inactive, in daily life. I just remember a few points here, but definitely mentioned was that active people had active friends and often active family members, while the most sedentary ones had very many sedentary people around them. Keeping yourself fit may look like a personal and solitary challenge, but in practice we tend to do as others do, compare ourselves to our neighbours, family and friends - and if they're all kicked back with their feet on the table eating cheetos, why shouldn't you?

I just have to look at my own neighbourhood really, we live in a fairly low-status area where not that many people are heavily into exercise, and I know I have a reputation for being "you know, one of those exercise addicts".It doesn't bother me, but if I had a major setback, like an injury, and had to stay at home for a while, it would be quite easy for me to compare myself to my neighbours and think that hey, I'm not doing so badly after all, what's the rush. It also helps me to focus on healthy eating that I have a super skinny dh. He's just naturally skinny, but I don't have to gain much weight over a lazy Christmas before I start feeling pretty darn chubby compared to him.

I can't really imagine the challenge it is to radically change your whole lifestyle, without friends or family changing at all.