Fidget, go surfing

Dr James Levine finds that fidgety people are skinnier than those who prefer to be sedentary - apparently you burn about 350 more calories a day if you're the kind of person who prefers to move about rather than sit still. More importantly, beyond genetic dispositions, the research seems to indicate that if you redesign your life so that you have to walk and move about a bit there'll be great health benefits. I personally like working on my desk, which is arranged in such a way that you have to stand up (or sit on a bar stool) to use it - given I haven't exercised in forever, I'll take the little chances I get.

Dr Levine sounds like a fun guy to work with - here's his thoughts on the special underwear he designed to monitor movements from the study:
"We had to be very creative," he said. "And you have to test them for comfort. I would put them on top of my suit. Mayo has a very strict dress code. Nothing gave me more pleasure than to wander around with this bizarre underwear over my suit. No one could do anything. It was an N.I.H.-funded study."

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