Matt Metzgar

Health Campaigns

I saw in this article the other day that breastfeeding rates are the highest they've been in 20 years.  All I can say to this is: great!  Science is just beginning to discover the many benefits of breastfeeding.  Breastfeeding has been the norm for millions of years of human evolution - it should be the default method for feeding an infant in my opinion.

The increase in breastfeeding rates was attributable to health campaigns designed to highlight the benefits of breastfeeding.  This is also good news because it shows people's perceptions and habits can be influenced for the better.  It doesn't seem like any health campaigns about better eating have made much of a dent in the overweight/obesity problem, but maybe it takes some time to get traction.

Children Don't Raise Themselves II

Here's one answer to my last post.  This study shows that the vast majority of parents who have overweight children are either unaware or unconcerned about their child's weight.  How do you make people care?  That seems like a tough assignment.

Children Don't Raise Themselves

Here's a depressing study on how some children are being fed.  The purpose of the study was to determine factors leading to childhood obesity.  Here are a few factors the research found:

• No breakfast
• Sweetened milk products
• Soft drinks at the child's disposal
• Toddlers with a tv in their own room!

All this looks like the parents are really just "checking out" and giving in the child's whims.  The study pointed out that the mothers involved usually had low levels of education and were low-income.  So the mothers probably had problems of their own to begin with.  But still, why aren't more people concerned about this?  Why isn't the government doing more?  These children are being set up for lifelong health problems with this early metabolic imprinting.

Happy Earth Day!

Idol Gives Back II

Last night, American Idol did their "Idol Gives Back" special again.  I wrote about this last year because I believe it is a unique, worthy event that raises tons of money for charities.

A lot of the funds go to charities involving children.  It just bothers me immensely when I see children not given a fair chance at life, as I assume it bothers any normal person with empathy.

I made my donation online, and I encourage anyone else to donate as well.

Worst Defense of the Year

I read this article in USA Today last night about a recent raid on a polygamist compound.  Authorities removed 401 children after allegations of abuse surfaced.  The mothers were allowed to leave with their children. 

For some reason, the article tried to find someone who would criticize this government action.  ""What the government is doing is totally outrageous," said Bonnie Macri, executive director of the activist group JEDI (Justice, Economic Dignity and Independence) Women in Utah." 

Before I even looked, I said to myself this "JEDI" group is probably some joke organization with a website and a few people.  I think it's even worse, as their has website expired and I could find no real information on the group.

Why does the press have to try to present a "balanced" view on every article and interview naysayers?  In some cases, there aren't two legitimate sides to an issue, as in this case.  The leaders of these polygamist cults are sick freaks, pure and simple.

The allegations of abuse came from a 16-year-old girl who was married to a 50-year old man.  Gee, that's normal.  The only thing "outrageous" about this raid is that the government should have done something sooner.  Throw the leaders in a psych ward or jail, it doesn't matter.  But at least give these children a chance at a normal life - outside of an isolated, brainwashed community.      

Profit and Value

One thing I've found over and over in business is the lack of correlation between value and a company making a profit.  I see many profitable companies that are producing nothing of value, and I also seen many genuine companies struggling.

A lot of companies talk about a "value proposition", though I don't know if that really means anything.  You can find a shirt that costs $20 that's better-constructed than one that costs $100.  But the company that's managed to persuade more customers to buy the $100 shirt will be more profitable.

There's some concept here that I'm just not getting.  I know all about the textbook version of capitalism (and I've taught it), but it is so far from business reality that the model may even need to be scrapped.

I think about a book like, "The Paleo Diet" that actually has value.  But it has been far outsold by many other diets books that are just complete nonsense.  It's frustrating to me, because you would hope that making money and producing value would go hand-in-hand.  They do in some cases but more often than not, they don't.

Book Review: The 4-Hour Workweek

I read Tim Ferriss' book "The 4-Hour Workweek" last year and never got around to reviewing it.  The book's content is based on the idea of escaping the 9-to-5 and setting up an alternative lifestyle.  Ferriss himself set up some type of vitamin company, outsourced most of the functions, and then was able to make a decent income by working only a few hours a week.

The book has gained many followers and substantial media.  What I haven't found though, is a large number of people who have been able to duplicate Ferriss' success.  Let's think about it: what do you have to be good at to set up a successful internet company? Marketing.  What do you have to be good at in order to get a #1 best-seller and a high-ranked blog?  Marketing.  What's Tim Ferriss good at? Marketing.

But at least I think he is honest about things.  Heck, he even asked readers to nominate him as one of the web's best self-promoters.

Ferriss does provide a road map of how to escape the 9-to-5.  And like most things, if a person puts in the time and effort, they can get some results.  But so far, I haven't read too many success stories, given the huge sales numbers he pulled in.  I read his book last year, and I have not managed to escape the working life.

I think most of the benefits of the whole "4-Hour Workweek" idea flow to Ferriss, not to his readers.  Of course, some would say that this is being negative and that people should just try harder and they will be successful.  But not everyone can be great at marketing.  And not everyone is going to be able to make tons of money off the internet.

Overall, it was an entertaining book with some good ideas.  But show me some evidence that it actually works.  And this does not mean three case studies out of the millions of copies that were sold.  What he should do next is offer some type of "coaching" based on the book.  He could make a mint off of that.  But he's probably already figured out the next step, given his marketing skills.   

Fat Acceptance: A Bad Idea

By accident, I came across a blog about "fat acceptance".  The idea seems to be that some people are destined to be fat, and that this should just be accepted.  It turns out there are a number of these blogs all with similar ideas.

I found this to be both sad and troubling.  First, it's sad because being overweight is not an incurable condition, even though some make it out to be.  If a person wants empirical evidence, they can look at the National Weight Control Registry and find people who have lost and kept off weight for a number of years. 

Second, it's troubling because there seems to be a motive to spread this message of fat acceptance.    If someone is overweight and it doesn't bother them, then that's their own business to some degree.  But trying to convince others to accept their fatness does not sit very well with me.  With two-thirds of adults overweight or obese, the last thing people need is a message telling them to just give up and accept their condition.

I think most people want to be in shape - it's probably a natural human desire.  Given the choice between having a fat body and an in-shape body, would anyone really choose having a fat body? 

If you really wanted to argue it, you could say that being overweight has "externalities".  Everyone is an influence on someone.  If a person gets in shape, this tends to have a spillover effect on others.  I have seen this numerous times.  Likewise, if a person gives up on their physical condition, then this is likely to affect others too - in a negative way.

Losing weight is very possible.  If someone is doubtful of this, feel free to drop me a line.

Hypocrite

This week, the news broke that New York governor Eliot Spitzer is connected to a prostitution ring.  Spitzer made his mark as the state's Attorney General, tackling Wall Street cases.  A few years ago Time hailed him as "The Tireless Crusader".

Here's a quote from his inaugural address last year: “Every policy, every action and every decision we make in this administration will further two overarching objectives: We must transform our government so that it is as ethical and wise as all of New York, and we must rebuild our economy so that it is ready to compete on the global stage in the next century.”

Spitzer is a tireless and ethical crusader?  What a joke.  He should have learned from Bill Clinton: if you put yourself out there as a public figure, don't get caught with your pants down.