Saturday, January 12, 2013

Say that again - Being slightly obese could be good for me?

I couldn't believe my eyes when I read the following excerpt in The Economist:
Dr Flegal included studies of general populations, not just those in hospital or with specific conditions. But her findings add new fuel to the debate over what is called the obesity paradox. Those with chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart conditions seem to show an inverse relationship between BMI and mortality—that is, being moderately overweight seems to have a protective effect.
I read further because I had to know,
Just why this is true remains unclear. It may be because the overweight receive life-prolonging medical care, such as treatment for diabetes and drugs to control heart conditions. It may be that they are better equipped to endure surgery. Among those who sought angioplasty for coronary artery disease, a higher BMI was linked with a higher rate of survival. Or, as Wolfram Doehner argued in 2010, chronic illness—of any sort, not just that linked to obesity—may be a metabolically demanding state, with the overweight having more energy reserves to meet that demand.
I got to the end of the article, and felt vindicated.
Relatively plump citizens may indeed pose a particular burden on the state. On the one hand, they run a higher risk than those who are less fat of developing chronic ailments such as heart disease and diabetes that require expensive treatment. On the other, corpulence may extend life, meaning such treatment may be needed for many extra years. Expanding waistlines could be making people live longer, but sicker.
All that time spent working out was time spent well, indeed!

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Huawei launches 6.1 inch Ascend Mate at CES

The phone, er Phablet, could very well be 7 inches at this point because no one in their senses is going to carry this in their back pocket (no chance for a front pocket fit) or hold it to their ears to place a phone call. Read more of Yahoo's coverage :here:.

To quote the end of the article:
what exactly is the motivation behind making larger smartphones instead of smaller ones? Jaycox said the tablet and smartphone markets are going through a test phase as consumers search for the sweet spot, looking for a portable device that meets all their computing needs.

"What's that device size where people truly feel like they have an all-in-one?" he said.
Translation: We don't know what to make so we are throwing everything we can against the wall. Let's see what sticks.

Thursday, January 03, 2013

Please start writing again...

I used to write every day. It used to be about nothing. It used to be about everything. I talked about squash, about code, about discoveries, about love lost. I used to fill every living minute with some activity - a workout, a squash match, a coffee, a girl, a blog post. And then I fell in love.

It's taken me a full two weeks to realize the degree of contentment I now experience when I am with Puneet. I am not compelled to venture out of my zone, to chase new escapades and adventures, to even work out like I used to. In 2013, I have resolved to tweak that ever so slightly. I want to start writing and working out again...

It will take me a few weeks of trying and failing to get back into the groove again. Ideas will start flowing again, the words will make sense when strung into a sentence, I will capture the gestalt of situations again. Until then, bear with a man whose fingers can type but whose mind has gone on a walkabout.