I'm so happy that I don't live in Japan. Because I stress enough about my own weight already.
Under a national law that came into effect two months ago, companies and local governments must now measure the waistlines of Japanese people between the ages of 40 and 74 as part of their annual checkups. That represents more than 56 million waistlines, or about 44 percent of the entire population.
Those exceeding government limits — 33.5 inches for men and 35.4 inches for women, which are identical to thresholds established in 2005 for Japan by the International Diabetes Federation as an easy guideline for identifying health risks — and having a weight-related ailment will be given dieting guidance if after three months they do not lose weight. If necessary, those people will be steered toward further re-education after six more months.
Mr. Ogushi was actually a little harder on Americans than they deserved. A survey by the National Center for Health Statistics found that the average waist size for Caucasian American men was 39 inches, a full inch lower than the 40-inch threshold established by the International Diabetes Federation. American women did not fare as well, with an average waist size of 36.5 inches, about two inches above their threshold of 34.6 inches. The differences in thresholds reflected variations in height and body type from Japanese men and women.
Still and yet, the controversy rages on: Astronomers Argue Pluto is a Planet
Disgruntled scientists renewed their vows this week to call Pluto a planet despite an international governing body's latest ruling to reclassify the tiny world.
On Wednesday, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) declared that Pluto will henceforth be known as a "plutoid," a new class of objects that has two members (the other being Eris, a small body beyond Pluto). The IAU, considered in charge of naming celestial objects, has been around since 1919. It demoted Pluto to "dwarf planet" status in 2006.
The latest decision was announced by email to the press, and it took researchers by surprise. Even IAU members and astronomers who discovered Eris and other objects that might eventually be called plutoids were not consulted or informed.
That's left many scientists peeved that the IAU developed the new term and its definition behind closed doors. They accuse the IAU of being secretive, out of touch and of failing to consider basic physical characteristics that researchers use to define planets.
"The derision for this group [the IAU] is now spreading virally," said Alan Stern, former assistant administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA and lead investigator for the New Horizons mission to Pluto.
Stern has also hinted that a rival group to the IAU might be formed. When asked about this possibility, he said: "There is a disturbance in the force. Enough said."
As if the controversy isn't geeky enough - they gotta throw a
Star Wars
reference in there....
BRQG bingo: name that poster!
Obama is so all-around wonderful, warm, and endearing that I feel like he must eat baby seals and plan the world's destruction in his spare time.
Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick's daughter Katherine comes out publicly and will march with her dad in tomorrow's Gay Pride Parade. [link]
I love this at the end of the article:
[Patrick:] "You know, I can still - because we live in Massachusetts - I can still imagine what Katherine's wedding is going to be like."
Then, as he lowered his voice, he added, "How much it's going to cost."
Aw, Gov. Patrick! So sweet.
Does anyone have a good recommendation for a daily vitamin w/calcium? Is one brand better than another?
My nutritionist recommended a daily vitamin and a separate pill with Calcium/magnesium. The Cal/mag one is taken before bedtime, and the multivitamin in the AM.
She didn't recommend any specific ones, but did say that generally you get what you pay for, and that Quest
[link]
and
Sisu
[link]
were two brands known to produce good quality vitamins.
