Quick Notes for October 14, 2015

Updated 10.15.2015
Short takes on items in open browser tabs.

The backlash against "sitting is the new smoking" begins

It was only a matter of time before stories pushing back against the idea that being sedentary (sitting all day) is dangerous would begin to appear. The story does note that the subjects in the study were based in London where they had to walk more than is typical in most US cities— New York City being a well known exception to that rule.

Here's a vote for the bike desk. It's not sitting that so bad, it's sitting and not moving. Fidgeting would have the same effect.

Push back against the "Sugar is the Devil" movement

The New York Times had a long piece on Coca-Cola's funding of researchers. The Spectator calls foul. I have done so as well.

The Spectator's point is that context of these exposés is completely absent. In other words, facts are cherry picked. Not only are facts cherry picked, but the fringe notion that weight gain is not simply due to consuming more energy than you expend is given equal weight as the accepted fact of the energy balance.

More Calorie Denialism

I remain mystified as to why the concept of caloric intake remains so perplexing to some. Of course, this Robert Lustig, who is a charter member of the "sugar is the devil" crowd. Counting calories (aka portion control) is not difficult math— unless you are pushing some agenda (usually a book or fee based product). Ironically, most of the imprecision in calorie counts occurs with whole, unprocessed foods. The calorie counts on processed foods are actually the most accurate available, because companies are mandated to provide at least as much as that on the label and have a profit incentive to not provide product for free. Fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, will vary in size and calorie content due to a host of factors (growing conditions, storage conditions, etc). Altering the amount of intake is the simplest and most direct way to decrease body size. Eat and drink what you want, just eat and drink a bit less.

No Supplements Required!

A healthy diet requires no supplementation because any and all nutrients needed will come from the food you eat. Supplements can be dangerous. Supplements are drugs by another name. Most supplements being swallowed are not by doctor prescription, and that's particularly the case for young healthy people. The truly dangerous "supplements" are those marketed for weight loss and energy, however the extreme concentrations of minerals found in the typical supplement can cause problems over time. The body can only process so much of a substance at once, and if the remainder can't be eliminated via urine or feces it has be to stored somewhere— snd thus do toxic levels in tissues accumulate.

Embrace the Bitch Within

Jennifer Lawrence learns that women who speak plainly are thought of as bitches. This is not a new phenomenon, nor is it limited to Hollywood, as the Washington Post notes. But saying it isn't new does nothing to change the situation. Perhaps having a woman president (should that ever happen) would change this, but I doubt it. Rather, I think we'll have four years of male bloggers whining and moaning about the bitch or worse in office.

So what would change this? Women need to embrace the bitch within and keep speaking plainly. Now there will be times when such speech will have consequences, but that's the case with men too. Sometimes it will be better to hold your tongue or couch your words— especially if your children are involved (ask me how I know…). However, in the end, my choice was to be known as someone wiling to voice and act on contrary opinions. I do not regret that choice.

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