I saw a news article on the front page of the Toronto Star today telling people the power of digital image manipulation and asked myself - why is this news? Image manipulation on just about everything has been taking place since computers with photo editing capabilities came into use… sadly - most people still don’t realize this and strive for an impossible perfection.

What’s beauty anyways?

Beauty means different things to different people, some of it comes from elitist ideas others are born from the history that cultures share. For instance, in Chinese culture, “whiter” skin is highly prized - if you have dark skin, there is a cultural taboo meaning you are a poor peasant - only farmers working in the hot sun on their rice fields all day would have dark skin. If you have whiter skin, it means you are wealthy and didn’t need to work physically to earn your income. You even see this in the black community where lighter skinned individuals are more highly sought after then darker skinned people - I do not know the reason but my guess it for the same reason as the Chinese.

How easy body image changes!

Up until about the 1930s, before food was plentiful, if you where obese - it was a status symbol of wealth and success - only rich people could afford to eat lots of food This was once very true but now that food is plentiful, obesity is frowned upon because it demonstrates a lack of control.

Video exposes extremes in digital manipulation

I urge you to check out this video to see how EXTREME beauty can be modified… and realize this… EVERY picture in just about EVERY magazine has had the exact same manipulations done to them as you see in this video… that includes billboards, web pictures, model shoots… you name it. So the next time you see a “perfect” model, please play this video in your head and realize that you are not looking at a real person - but a digitally altered one.

My picture… manipulated

As you see in the image, I did this in January ‘06 - I took a photograph of me in a badly lit room and manipulated it to the point where slightly improved on every aspect of my features… I go from looking like I crawled out from under a rock to what I consider handsome guy - I only modified skin tone, not facial features by the way. I could take it to the extreme as you will see in the video but I wanted my picture to be of ME, not somebody else.

The Bottom Line

If you are happy in your own skin and strive through diet and exercise to improve on what your parents gave to you - then you will always be the “perfect” you no matter what taboos come into fashion.

Without search engines, the internet would be a very user-unfriendly medium that probably never would have exploded into peoples lives as it has. The internet was developed by the United States Department of Defence to assure that if it control centers where nuked, the D.O.D. still had a means of retaliation since all the centers would be linked up. The fact that it forever changed world economies and politics was simply a fluke never envisioned by its developers.

U.S. Web giants slammed over China
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/internet/02/15/china.us/index.html

10. Restaurants that bribe kids

Restaurants who bribe children with toys to bring them in the door with their family to eat their food. My nephew a few weeks ago went to McDonalds to get this “Cars” blue car and guess what, the following week McDonalds releases a red one - guess who was begging to go BACK to McDonalds so they could get the red one Anybody who markets to children should be ashamed of themselves… when your food is so bad that you need to bribe kids to eat it - and so unhealthy that just about every “health advocate” would prefer to eat the dirt from the soles of their feet then what you offer as food - it’s time for a new business plan.

9. “Weight Loss” Personalities

“Weight Loss” Centers who use people with deep seeded problems to get customers in the door. Kirstie Alley has had weight issues most of her life, yes she WAS beautiful (who isn’t when they are young) but using a known cocaine addict who is still obese telling people with weight problems “hey, I did it” send the wrong message and doesn’t make much sense neither. If you want to succeed in achieving your weight loss goals - model yourself after “skinny” people, not screwed up ones.

8. Phony Diet products

Diet plans that promise “up to” (usually in fine print) 7lbs weight loss in 7 days, I hate to burst your bubble but the weight you will loose is WATER weight, anybody can loose 7lbs in a week, stop eating and drinking - it may also kill you but at least you didn’t waste your money. The healthiest amount of weight to loose in one week is no more then 2 lbs (and that’s pushing it), making any large shifts in weight (water, fat or muscle) is a guaranteed way to gain the weight right back plus a little more bonus.

7. Using carb depleted spokespersons

Exercise systems from reputable companies to “as seen on TV” products that show commercials of once obese people transforming their body into human anatomy charts. Listen, the amount of diet and training required to get to that level of “cutting” is incredibly difficult not only to get to but also maintain. It’s also unhealthy to walk around with such a low “carbohydrate depleted” body fat percentage because the body NEEDS fat to keep things running in between meals - think of fat as the bodies battery when no energy is around. Yes, they should be congratulated for getting to that level but lets be realistic here, I bet if you met them a few weeks after the show was tapped, that 6-pack has lost much of its definition. Very few people would have the mental and physical fortitude required to get into the shape portrayed as a direct result from using any type of equipment.

6. Before and After pictures

Just about every health product uses these to promote their products - I have yet to see one with the SAME lighting, angle and facial expression. Usually the “before” picture has low light, the person looking unhappy and depending on the product, the lighting used to enforce the bad areas then the “after” picture usually has a completely different angle, BRIGHT lighting and a happy face on the person (and with make-up). Of course they look better - but it has nothing to do with the product!

5. “Weight Loss” Centers

“Weight Loss” Centers such as Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers etc… charging people hundreds of dollars a week to eat processed foods without a strong educational and exercise program is a fantastic way to keep obese people for life. People will loose the weight and guess what, once they get off the calorie restricted diet it comes back with a vengeance - these centers “allow” people to loose weight simply because the amount taken in is usually below the amount burned by the individual. Why people PAY to eat LESS I still do not understand… in my opinion, “Weight Loss” Centers are in the same league as cigarette companies - same business plan and motive with little regard for their customers well being.

4. Herbal or Natural products

These products promise everything from a cure for cancer to extreme health… they usually promote some exotic product found where no man has ever been and say that “clinical studies” prove they work. Ask them for a copy of the study and you will get a blank stare. If you read the fine print, it will say something to the effect that “the FDA has not evaluated said product”. In other words, the health benefits from their product are probably equal to that of eating a vegetable (at best). The reason why “herbal” or “natural” is seen on everything these days is because there is a loophole in the FDA regulations which means they don’t need to go through clinical trials before they go to market essentially because their main ingredients are considered no stronger then a placebo. A rule of thumb is that if something is potent enough to actually work, 99.999% of the time it’s only available by prescription.

3. Fad diets

Why people fall for these every 2-3 years is another one of those mysteries that have eluded me so far in my life. They DO NOT work (long term), are usually very unhealthy (ei: Atkins) and cost you a little fortune. Save your money, eat whole foods that are unprocessed and you will always eat very well and have no problem maintaining the body that is right for you. Promise your body you will not follow any more FAD diets!

2. Cell phones

This is a bit of a stretch but I believe cell phones where invented by the devil himself, go anywhere - airports, public transit, restaurants, hotels, theaters, beach and no matter how hard you try your luck - there will always be at least one person talking on their cell phone - how does this affect my health? When you cannot enjoy the moment and unwind in public, stress levels are not allowed to dissipate - instead of being in the moment, you are forced to be inside of somebody elses. When somebody is talking loudly over the crowd, it cannot be ignored. We wonder why our lives are so crazy everyday… the infernal cell phone is squarely to blame in my opinion

1. Environmental Degradation

There is a very real link between the environment we live in and our general health - why our “leaders” cannot open their eyes to this and take real action to not only change things for our generation but the generations to follow is unconscionable. I am not talking about Global Warming specifically which is the buzz word of the 21st century - it’s only a symptom of a far larger problem - people still don’t seem to realize that pollution doesn’t abide by any borders, China is quickly becoming the worlds largest polluter, the United States (todays larger polluter) believes in an “wealth before health” policy and even Canada has outpaced the United States in terms of net increases of pollution. What am I doing to do about this? Stay tuned… but change must always starts with Responsibility, Awareness & Education.

The Bottom Line

Pet Peeves are like weeds, get rid of one and two new ones pop up in its place

The closest I ever got to a cubicle was during business meetings with other companies - I think they are the most depressing and energy zapping system ever devised by the corporate “efficiency” machine. No wonder your boss probably doesn’t work in one

Who, When, What, Why

When the creator of the cubicle, Robert Propst, describes his own invention as “monolithic insanity” - you know somebody is seeking redemption. Cubicles where invented about 30 years ago and are now a 3 billion dollar a year industry - they have since become the new crack of the corporate world.

Alternatives

Are there alternatives from “the cubicle”? Yes, it’s called “open concept”, sure it takes up a bit more room, boosts creativity and costs a little more to set-up but hey - how better to show employee appreciation then to allow them the luxury of an open space around them.

Cubicles in popular culture

Cubicles have been seen throughout our culture for the evil boxes they are - you can even see their evolution in Futurama in which they become the Suicide Box at the corner of every street. What first comes to mind is Dilbert - a comic strip that pokes fun at corporate mono-culture. Hollywood movies that show this contraption also are seen in prominence within Office Space, Tron, Matrix and even the Drew Carey Show among many others.

My personal experiences

I think it was the year 2000, the last time I had a meeting within a cubicle that lasted about an hour - first 10 minutes where “look at all the crap people this person posted on their walls”, followed by 10 minutes of “this private place is actually quite loud” followed by “this place is boring” and it kept going downhill from there. Suffice it to say, I felt liberated when the meeting ended and was finally able to breathe fresh air (outside).

The Bottom Line

Life isn’t meant to be lived within a cubicle - they are no more then a glorified prison cell.

Go through the aisles of your local food market, it seems that everything now says “all natural”, “natural ingredients”, “organic” or their many derivatives. Even what is traditionally known as junk food is starting to look pretty good - but is it?

Natural = Healthier?

Ask people on the street what their definition of what a natural product is and what you will hear is that it’s healthier for you, organically sourced and usually unprocessed. I guess somebody forgot to tell this to the food manufacturers

The problem is most people only read the front of the box their food comes in instead of looking in the back - sections called ingredients and the food label!

Ingredients list

In North America at least, the ingredient list is sorted by most to least, so if you see for instance olive oil followed by flour, it means there is more olive oil then flour in the food you are about to consume. What it doesn’t tell you is if the flour was deep-fried in olive oil.

The fact is, the ingredients list is a good start but I sure wish it told me a little more about how a food was “processed”. The fact is something can be labeled “all natural” and still contain a lot of sugar, fats and other ingredients not normally associated with healthy eating make some “healthy natural foods” essentially overpriced junk food.

Labels lie

You got to wonder who writes the FDA specifications for food labels, the government or the food company. If I tell you I am finally debt-free, that means I no longer have ANY debt. Not so according to FDA specs. Using their logic, I can still be in debt with many creditors yet, still being considered debt-free if I spread the debt around enough to create smaller amounts.

Now, when you go through the specifications, notice how it usually says, “per serving size”, this is very tricky. Go through your cupboard, look at your favorite food and eat ONLY the serving size - I bet you will be surprised as how little companies think you actually eat of their product. If regularly eat 3-6x the suggested serving size, so that means what the food label said should be multiplied 3-6x - but most don’t realize to do this final multiplication. No wonder obesity and diabetes is reaching pandemic proportions!

FDA Specifications for labeling claims

Fat-Free Less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving, with no added fat or oil
Low fat 3 grams or less of fat per serving
Less fat 25% or less fat than the comparison food
Saturated Fat Free Less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat and 0.5 grams of trans-fatty acids per serving
Cholesterol-Free Less than 2 mg cholesterol per serving, and 2 grams or less saturated fat per serving
Low Cholesterol 20 mg or less cholesterol per serving and 2 grams or less saturated fat per serving
Reduced Calorie At least 25% fewer calories per serving than the comparison food
Low Calorie 40 calories or less per serving
Extra Lean Less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, and 95 mg of cholesterol per (100 gram) serving of meat, poultry or seafood
Lean Less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 g of saturated fat, and 95 mg of cholesterol per (100 gram) serving of meat, poultry or seafood
Light (fat) 50% or less of the fat than in the comparison food (ex: 50% less fat than our regular cheese)
Light (calories) 1/3 fewer calories than the comparison food
High-Fiber 5 grams or more fiber per serving
Sugar-Free Less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving
Sodium-Free or Salt-Free Less than 5 mg of sodium per serving
Low Sodium 140 mg or less per serving
Very Low Sodium 35 mg or less per serving
Healthy A food low in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, and contains at least 10% of the Daily Values for vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein or fiber
“High”, “Rich in” or “Excellent Source” 20% or more of the Daily Value for a given nutrient per serving
“Less”, “Fewer” or “Reduced” At least 25% less of a given nutrient or calories than the comparison food
“Low”, “Little”, “Few”, or “Low Source of” An amount that would allow frequent consumption of the food without exceeding the Daily Value for the nutrient - but can only make the claim as it applies to all similar foods
“Good Source Of”, “More”, or “Added” The food provides 10% more of the Daily Value for a given nutrient than the comparison food

Fat-free foods is an oxymoron
I hope the above chart made you realize how trivial your nutrition is taken into account by those you may trust to feed and protect your family, now one more interesting fact. Here is a simple calorie calculation chart:

1 gram fat = 9 calories
1 gram protein = 4 calories
1 gram carbohydrate = 4 calories
1 gram alcohol = 7 calories

People purchase foods that are labeld fat-free (I hope you now realize they can still contain fat), now for a shocker… if you really did eat food that 100% fat free but it contained carbohydrates or alcohol, guess what happens to all the extra calories you consumed - your body converts it to fat. So you can still become fat by eating fat-free foods.

The Bottom Line

Cook all your own meals using fresh ingredients; this will save you from a lot of potential health problems in the future caused by an improper diet.