Given that Americans have had some pretty rosey heath-related headlines land in their laps in recent weeks — like being crowned as having the ‘World’s Best Weight Loss Diet’ and coming out surprisingly well in the Worldwide Addiction Rankings — it may come as a hard pill to swallow that their own CIA head honcho has thrown some major shade at one American health trait…
Then-CIA chief Gina Haspel, in one of her first and only public speeches during her time in the role, stated in no uncertain terms that she hoped to “steadily increase the number of officers stationed overseas. That’s where our mission as a foreign intelligence agency lies, and having a larger foreign footprint allows for a more robust posture.”
However, this goal comes beset with challenges. As you might expect, one of the biggest of these hurdles is protecting the identity of American spies and the foreign collaborators they work alongside. Jonna Mendez, who used to be “chief of disguise” at the CIA explains that “de-Americanising” their spies is a crucial part of the training process.
WATCH: Mendez Goes Into Detail
“They wear their wedding rings on different fingers,” Mendez said. “They eat differently than we do. They don’t shuttle that fork back and forth.” However, there’s one particular health-adjacent trait that apparently gives Americans away overseas quicker than any other: their “sloppy” posture.
According to Mendez, Europeans think…
“That we are slouchy, a little sloppy, and they think they can almost see that in our demeanour on the street. Because they stand up straight, they don’t lean on things… They are on two feet and we’re always on one foot with that other foot kind of stuck out.”
Jonna Mendez
If you’re wondering exactly what the giveaway posture and poses look like, take a look at this handy Reddit thread below…
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Want To Fix Your Posture? Dave Asprey Has The Answer
If you’re worried that you’ve got the giveaway sloppy posture, this DMARGE article from 2021 could have the answer to all your problems:
The best way to cure or rectify poor posture is to train and build up your muscular strength. All of your body’s muscles work in tandem to support you. Your abs, quads and hamstrings, for example, are key to preventing back pain, and they will be more able to support your upper body if they’re in good health.
But one of the other ways you can help to prevent poor posture is to train your neck muscles. But rather than simply turn your head from side to side (although, this can help) lifestyle guru Dave Asprey has a product that can help even further.
Called the Iron Neck, this unused condom-looking contraption has been developed from research relating to concussion and whiplash, and after just a few months use, you should notice you’re standing more upright. In fact, it may not only cure your poor posture but potentially enable you to no longer lie about your height on your dating profile.
To use the Iron Neck, you place the piece of equipment on your head, inflate the integrated air pillow to create a snug fit, and then attach it to a resistance band that comes included. This band needs to be secured to a solid anchor point so that you can perform exercises while working against the resistance created by the band.
It essentially works in the same way as resistance bands can be used to help you build muscle in other areas of your body, but targets just your neck.
Final Thoughts
While most of us will never know the thrilling lifestyle that is a James-Bond-esque life in espionage, we all want to blend in from time to time, especially when chasing that “authentic” travel experience overseas. Well, now you know the key to doing so: straighten up that posture and avoid an oh-so-cool lamppost lean…