Death by Blogging & Smoking and Drinking are Better!

Two article to share about our current culture:

"In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop"
published by Matt Richtel for NY Times

"Two weeks ago in North Lauderdale, Fla., funeral services were held for Russell Shaw, a prolific blogger on technology subjects who died at 60 of a heart attack. In December, another tech blogger, Marc Orchant, died at 50 of a massive coronary. A third, Om Malik, 41, survived a heart attack in December.
Other bloggers complain of weight loss or gain, sleep disorders, exhaustion and other maladies born of the nonstop strain of producing for a news and information cycle that is as always-on as the Internet."

The article is a bit long but made me want to stay up all night and read blogs ;-)

Full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/technology/06sweat.html?_r=5&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=login

and

from Matthew Scott of Financial Week, a sister publication of Workforce Management:
"Obesity More Costly To U.S. Companies Than Smoking, Alcoholism"

"The report found obesity is associated with a 36 percent increase in health-care spending, more than results from smoking or alcoholism. Since 34 percent of American adults fit the definition of obesity, cutting costs associated with the condition will challenge companies for years to come.

Companies are gearing up to combat obesity.
The report said that more than 40 percent of U.S. companies have obesity reduction or wellness programs, and an additional 24 percent plan to start such programs in 2008. The programs can yield a return on investment from ranging from zero to as much as $5 for each $1 invested."

Full article: http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/25/46/91.html