Back in the early 1960's, JFK (before his White House bid) noticed there were "an increasingly large number of young Americans who are neglecting their bodies."
Imagine that.
Before hundreds of channels of cable T.V., ... before computers, ... before video games, ... before microwave ovens, ... he noticed that young Americans were "getting soft."
Wonder what he'd think/say now? Wonder why more of our leaders aren't saying more?
Your thoughts?
The Soft American - 1960
" ... But the harsh fact of the matter is that there is also an increasingly large number of young Americans who are neglecting their bodies—whose physical fitness is not what it should be—who are getting soft. And such softness on the part of individual citizens can help to strip and destroy the vitality of a nation ... "
The Vigor We All Need - 1962
“ ... For physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body; it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. The relationship between the soundness of the body and the activities of the mind is subtle and complex. Much is not yet understood. But we do know what the Greeks knew: that intelligence and skill can only function at the peak of their capacity when the body is healthy and strong; that hardy spirits and tough minds usually inhabit sound bodies ... ”