The Weight of Progress Life has improved for lots of people. Economic development and globalization has brought many out of poverty. Kenyan farmers shop and bank with their cell phones. Hundreds of millions of Chinese have moved from the impoverishment of the Cultural Revolution to high levels of education and ambitious middle class lives. As […]
Why People Won’t Sweat (12/03/12)
Immovable News note: 3.5% of Americans aged 18-59 do 150 minutes or more of moderate physical activity per week – the minimum recommended by the government for health (Gina Kolata, NY Times, 11/20/12). Only 96.5% of the younger adult population is not doing the minimum required exercise. It’s 97.5% for those over 59. Taking away the […]
Rest to Learn (9/3/12)
Want to Learn? Rest What’s the best way to remember a story? It may be to close your eyes and daydream. That’s the conclusion of a study of Michaela Dewar at the Edinburgh University. She looked at men and women 61-87 in relatively good health, asking what improved memory. One answer – not thinking about […]
Can Even Minor Stress Kill You? (Plus What You Can Do About It – 8/13/12)
Does Psychological Distress Harm You? Studies and Results A recent study from University College, London concluded very minor forms of stress that doctors and many patients hardly notice increases overall mortality. The more psychological stress reported, the higher the death rates – and they really went up. How Was the Study Done? The National Health […]
Weight – Why Simple Answers Can’t Work (and what might) (7/12/12)
Simple – Or Useless? Everything is connected. Change one thing and you end up changing all. Highly complex it may be, but give the human body the right information, and it remakes itself right. However, you have to face the preference – especially in the media – for simple “clear” answers to complex issues. Simple, […]