The Big Question

Downsizing

Sprint has slowed its elevators (stairs, anyone?). How else should corporate America lose weight?

Lucy Danziger, editor, Self: “Make over the vending machines with healthy, high-fiber snacks like sunflower seeds. Self tried this, and it worked, but we kept one chocolate option so there wouldn’t be a revolt.”

David Zinczenko, editor, Men’s Health: “An old boss used to ask me to go on noontime runs. He’d ask a tough question at the bottom of a hill, then sprint ahead while I tried to answer. Very motivational.”

Ari Weller, trainer: “Make everyone sit on a physioball. And bounce into the conference room.”

Linda Wells, editor, Allure: “Condé Nast should send reed-thin fashion editors to cafeterias across the land. One evil look, and overeaters would be scared skinny.”

Rafael Marmor, producer, Take a Break Fitness office-exercise videos: “Maybe they could speed up elevators to help employees lose their lunch.”

Tom Wolfe: “I love to exercise, but it’s got to be voluntary. I was in Cuba in 1960, and I’d had this romantic picture of Castro walking around with a bottle of Metaxa brandy. Then one day, I was walking by this big building, and on the sidewalk there were at least 300 people doing side-straddle hops, and I said to myself, There’s something wrong with this revolution if they’re making these poor people exercise. That, in my humble opinion, is one side-straddle hop too far.”