Current Events: Fidgeting Weight Loss?

This is just intriguing. After long convincing research (see links for details), Mayo Clinic, led by Dr. Jim Levine, has determined that fidgety, restless people burn more calories than those who sit still, enough to make a difference of over 300 burnt calories a day, or 30 to 40 pounds lost in a year. The study suggests that whether you are restless or not is something biological, something genetic.

Think about this! It's just... intriguing! Lazy people who can't sit still aren't as fat as lazy people who can sit still! I mean, it really does make sense. Activity burns calories, and restlessness is activity, albeit not as much activity as formal exercise. I eat a lot, and I mean a whole lot, but I'm nowhere near obesity. I always attributed it to a high metabolism. But I am very restless---always tapping my foot or hand to a song or whatever. So maybe that has something to do with it.

And we always thought that not being able to sit still was a bad thing. But apparently it's good for you.

The big question here is if it really is something genetic, that you're either born restless or not born restless. The way that can be a bad thing is if people try to deny responsibility for their actions, akin to some homosexuals and alcholics---"It's not my fault I'm fat. I was born that way. Don't blame me; I can't help it." Even if you happen to be born less fidgety than other people, that's no excuse for getting fat. It's still your responsibility to exercise and take care of that. But until people start claiming things like that, I think this is a very intriguing, interesting study.

So, if you can't sit still in class, don't worry: you're not getting fat!

(Sources: www.healthtalk.ca; www.nytimes.com)

Edmond the Hun