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Why Geeks Are Fat
If you go to a tech convention, such as a web apps confab or some other Internet yackfest - and I've been to a couple - you might find yourself wondering if you're at a Weight Watchers convention. Everybody is so fat. Of course, not all geeks are fat, but a good number of them are. I used to think it's part of the geek package: the thick glasses, the social ineptness, the inability to dance, the awkwardness with girls - these all seem to be a natural complement to the flabby gut. Like many, I assumed that the sedentary lifestyle - 14 hours in front of the computer spent coding followed by 14 hours in front of the computer spent playing computer games - is the major factor. It turns out, I was wrong. Geeks, apparently, are fat because they are brainy and think a lot! A study by Canadian researchers, led by a Professor Angelo Tremblay, nutrition specialist at Laval University in Quebec, found that people get hungry when they think. According to the The York Times, Professor Tremblay had one group of subjects sit around and do nothing, and another group of subjects complete intellectually challenging tasks. Even though the amount of calories burned was the same - both groups were seated throughout - the group tasked with using their brains stuffed their faces at a buffet offered afterwards, while the group which lounged around ate less. This research implies that thinking makes you hungry. Since geeks spend more time thinking than other people, it is not surprising that a lot of geeks are fat. So next time you see a fat geek, think not: "Ah! A pizza addict." Think this: "Ah! A thinker!"
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Contributor's Note
For some reason, I am a lean geek. Perhaps it's because of my mafism.
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Glycemic Instability and Spontaneous Energy Intake: Association With Knowledge-Based Work
PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
 |  | adac loved this intel. Mar 22, 2011 |  | | R Foreman loved this intel. Sep 1, 2011 |
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Just loading this web page stimulated my appetite.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Nothing compared to the appetite stimulated by writing the article. 
Ahhh now that's food for thought!
So that's my excuse! Loved the link to an authority site, too.
Count me as a fan of Professor Tremblay!
 | | adac Mar 22, 2011 09:35 | |
Great intel Nick, just thinking of playing counter strike source for 5 hours is making me hungry
I would think that a third group would be needed in this study before drawing any conclusions. A group that was thinking just about food and not thinking about completing intellectual challenging tasks.
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This intel was contributed by nick
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