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Previously, I wrote about the expensive and  controversial “fat tax” and provided some useful tips to stop paying it .  While we all most likely don’t enjoy paying taxes of any kind, the fat tax is particularly insidious because it is a double whammy – your health deteriorates while your monthly gym membership fee goes to waste, two things that negatively impact an entrepreneur’s precious resources and chances for success.  Note that my definition of “fat tax” here has nothing to do with levying real monetary taxes on junk food (which isn’t a bad idea by the way); I’m focused on the physical, mental and emotional costs associated with falling out of shape.  Having an unused gym membership is another form of this tax, which I say you should pay, and use as a motivator to get value out of that fee, while balancing your professional ambitions with a healthy dose of exercise. Building on that premise, herein we’ll explore a few specific examples of how entrepreneurs balance their health priorities with the demands of building a business.  You’ll see two drastically different directions, and hopefully take another look at where you stand when it comes to making healthy living a foundational priority in your life. There are a lot of forces against us nowadays, especially in major metropolitan cities like New York and Chicago, which make healthy living difficult for business owners and professionals in general.  As the modern world has evolved, our jobs have become less physically taxing and more sedentary.  While this reduces typical workplace health hazards, it can make us very lazy.  The mind-body scales get weighed down by a hyperactive brain while the fat calories start piling up faster than they’re getting burned.  I don’t need to recall the statistics about how poor our health is as Americans – one of the worst in the world when it comes to measures like diabetes and stress.  Entrepreneurs run in a generally high risk category for high blood pressure, obesity and heart disease due to the stress levels of this type of work.  We release “the stress hormone” cortisol in response to various pressures that we face, and this lowers our immunity levels as well as increases abdominal fat. Here are two contrasting examples based on real characters in my life (I won’t name names), who have handled the pressures of work in different ways.  Of course, we all go through stages, as I stated in  Part 1 of this article when I spoke of my own ’4 year sabbatical’ from healthy living.  At 29 years old, I felt like I was going on 40 – now at 37, I’m feeling 25 again. There is an amazing Founder & CEO, whom I’ve known for many years, who started his own business over 15 years ago.  I’ve always considered him a mentor.  His company’s revenues now hover around $20 million annually while he is still the majority shareholder.  He has worked tirelessly to get where he is today, with a wife and three kids at home.  He is 49 years-old.  One would think that this man might have a tough time keeping fit.  Wrong.  He just finished his third marathon, is slim and strong, looks the same if not better than he did 10 years ago, and has plenty of energy to play with his kids.  Wow, this man is a role model to me now more than ever, due to his ability to succeed while maintaining a healthy balance across all major areas of his life. There is another friend of mine, who is a 37 year-old former athlete, and is now a traveling consultant, that was always in great shape during his college and grad school years.  He is married with kids as well.  This guy was always in impeccable shape, a regular gym weightlifter.  He is now in the prime of his career, and one of the youngest partners at his firm.  Due to the wear and tear of travel, his time has been crunched.  He recently gained 20 pounds, is starting to age, and claims that he just “doesn’t have the time to pay attention to his health” right now. So what’s the difference between these two people?  Both are equally ambitious, with long work hours and families competing for their time.  The answer is discipline and self-awareness.  The older CEO has enough self-awareness to recognize the value of staying in good health.  He’s a better asset to his company and his family when he’s healthy.  He has made his health a priority.  He is also a happier man – at least happier with himself and his choices.  His disciplined nutrition and fitness regimen carries over to set a positive example for his staff, as well as into other areas of his life, such as his parenting skills and leadership skill. Where do you fall in this spectrum?  How can you rework your life and schedule to ensure proper attention to your health and fitness?  What difference can that positive shift make in your ability to deal with challenges at work and at home?  I’m sure you already know the answers to these questions.  Now, it’s just a matter of doing it! Arman Rousta is Founder & CEO of digital agency, Blueliner, which services start-ups and established companies such as IZOD, California Closets and Lufthansa. Read more about Arman here .