general health
What Gets Measured Does Not Always Get Done
Monday, August 1, 2011 - 9:33pm — David Nelson
“What gets measured gets done.” That’s how the saying goes. It’s probably why we see efforts to measure absolutely everything. In health, for example, there is a school of thought which claims that if I could see a constant data stream on my weight, resting heart rate, calories burned, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc., I would make healthier decisions. I don’t think that is enough. This has become clearer to me as I’ve started using a “To-Do” list more regularly.
I use a simple word document to track the things I want to get done. At least daily, I update the list and use it to plan where I will focus my time. It works well for the most part, but there are a few items that just seem to get stuck on the list. It’s very annoying actually. Enough so that it made me start thinking about why this happens. Why do some items move off of the list while others don’t? Here is what I came up with as the key factors that impact my speed of completing To-Do items (listed in no particular order):
- Achievable – How difficult do I perceive this task? It turns out the way in which the To-Do item is written actually matters. If it’s broken down in to achievable steps, it’s more likely to be finished quicker.
- Associated Reward – Is this item more likely to lead to a higher relative reward than the other items? If so, it will get priority.
- Fun – Do I enjoy doing it? The more fun it seems, the quicker it will be removed from the list.
- Social Accountability – Will someone else care if it is done and done on time? If there is someone else waiting on the outcome or there is some shared interest in the outcome of this item, I’ll give it priority.
As I’ve learned, just tracking what I need to do isn’t always enough to make sure it gets done. I would re-write the popular saying as follows: “What gets measured is made achievable, fun, social and rewarding gets done.” This works even for physical activity, that nagging To-Do item that just never seems to go away.
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Send to friendPour Some Sugar on Me...or Don't?
Friday, March 4, 2011 - 7:05pm — Sombit MishraOver the past few months, the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) and public health officials have taken to YouTube to spar about sugar consumption and high-fructose corn syrup. Here are a couple of the ads that have run recently:
Corn Refiners Association: Sugar is Sugar Ad
*CRA does not allow video embeds, likely to avoid critical response (and that’s already a problem with this ad)
The claims of the advertisement are actually true. High-fructose corn syrup is chemically identical to sucrose (table sugar). Further, scientific research to date suggests no statistically significant difference between HFCS and sucrose in terms of their effects on blood levels of glucose, ghrelin, leptin, insulin, or triglycerides. Essentially, assuming equal dose, HFCS and sucrose have the same impact on the body. The bigger problem with HFCS is that it’s often hidden in your foods and becoming ubiquitous in daily consumption. But is that the fault of the CRA and corn refiners or the ill-informed consumer?
That said, the ad is problematic, and I’ll get to that after previewing an ad from the NYC Department of Health.
NYC Department of Health: “Do You Drink 93 Packets of Sugar a Day?” (warning: this video contains graphic images and is not for the squeamish)
Over the past few months, the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) and public health officials have taken to YouTube to spar about sugar consumption and high-fructose corn syrup. Here are a couple of the ads that have run recently:
Corn Refiners Association: Sugar is Sugar Ad
*CRA does not allow video embeds, likely to avoid critical response (and that’s already a problem with this ad)
The claims of the advertisement are actually true. High-fructose corn syrup is chemically identical to sucrose (table sugar). Further, scientific research to date suggests no statistically significant difference between HFCS and sucrose in terms of their effects on blood levels of glucose, ghrelin, leptin, insulin, or triglycerides. Essentially, assuming equal dose, HFCS and sucrose have the same impact on the body. The bigger problem with HFCS is that it’s often hidden in your foods and becoming ubiquitous in daily consumption. But is that the fault of the CRA and corn refiners or the ill-informed consumer?
That said, the ad is problematic, and I’ll get to that after previewing an ad from the NYC Department of Health.
NYC Department of Health: “Do You Drink 93 Packets of Sugar a Day?” (warning: this video contains graphic images and is not for the squeamish)
Happy New Year from EveryFit!
Friday, December 31, 2010 - 9:01am — Sombit Mishra
For those making the New Year’s Resolution to get in shape, we hope you stick with it! In fact, we hope to help you with it.
We’ve renovated here at EveryFit, in part because we are committed to providing you with fresh content and perspective on topics related to your health. You’ll see useful links, articles, opinions, and updates from us every couple of days—some will focus on company challenges and progress, while others will aim to cover interesting intersections in health, fitness, wellness, and technology. We invite you to contact us if you would like to share your own fitness stories/opinions.
With that, we wish you a happy, healthy New Year!
