Monday, August 16, 2010

They've Got Names for Everything

I like StumbleUpon, a lot. It's the perfect tool for those who are easily bored, short of attention-span or constantly novelty seeking. I use it on a daily basis. One (of the many) interests I have checked-off in my StumbleUpon profile is "psychology". It was my major in college, so I guess I should be interested.

Today, it sent me a link on "metabolic syndrome". Now, I'm not a doctor. So, I'm not claiming I suffer this (if, in fact, this is even something one can suffer). I don't consider myself to be a hypochondriac. Though, who knows: by classic definitions, I may be. But, since I'm not in the habit of diagnosing myself, I can't say for sure. All I do know is that I seem to have a number of the markers. But, really, that's besides the point.

In reading the article, there was the line:

Those with metabolic syndrome are not only more likely to suffer heart attacks and other severe complications, but often lose many years of life.

I dunno: maybe it's less that the syndrome actively kills you as much as, it leaves you in a mental state where you're just "ready to go" a lot sooner than others might be. I look at my dad's easily-preventable death by heart attack at age 62 and the mental and physical manifestations I saw in him before then, and I can't help but think that the "ready to go" was part of it. I know that, were it not for my obligations, I'd probably just start walking until I either found something or I dropped in my tracks. I frequently think that many of the obligations I've set myself have been a weak attempt at succumbing to the "ready to go" feeling that is always with me.

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