] Because of last year's tremendous success, the Discovery
] Health Channel is going to host the challenge again next
] year. The challenge begins on Jan. 15 and will continue
] for eight weeks.
]
] You can register for the 2005 NATIONAL BODY CHALLENGE
] until Jan. 20, 2005.
 . . .
] Registration closes on Jan. 20, 2005 at 11:59 p.m. ET/PT.

I've been poking around lately checking out health clubs, reviews, membership prices, etc. etc. For myself, things have boiled down to a choice between two clubs: Bally's and 24-hour Fitness. The former because it's closer to where I live, and has yoga classes. The latter because I'm more of a 24-hour person.

24-Hour Fitness also has the advantage of "pay as you go" memberships of about $35/month. Bally's offers a lower monthly ($12/month), but in order to get to it, you have to sign a multi-year contract and "buy" a membership which can cost over a thousand dollars. As I've surfed the web and read the reviews, the #1 complaint I've heard, is about the high-pressure sales tactics at Bally's, and how many people are bullied into signing contracts that they don't entirely understand, after which they're harassed by collection agencies even if they no longer wish to go to Bally's.

There are some creative alternatives though. One of which is going on right now -- Discovery Health Channel is sponsoring, in coordination with some other national health organizations, a free "National Body Challenge". Signing up for it on the web takes a couple minutes, requires no money or credit card, and as one of the freebies, there's a 2-month "no obligation" membership to Bally's. I've signed up for it, if for no other reason than it's a 2-month free pass to a sauna and enormous whirlpool hot tub. :)

Of all the research I've done, this is the best deal around at the moment (can't beat free!), and it's only open for this week. After that, things go back to the normal "2-week free trial" system.

FYI,

Elonka :)

Discovery Health : National Body Challenge

] The table below was prepared in response to frequent
] inquiries, especially from the media, asking questions such
] as, "What are the odds of being killed by lightning?" or
] "What are the chances of dying in a plane crash?

In the year 2000, the chances of dying from a lightning strike were 1 in 5.5 Million. Or, over the course of a lifetime, 1 in 70,000.

Morbid statistics du jour, from the National Safety Council. ;)

What are the Odds of Dying?

] A single infusion of an intestinal hormone made people eat
] less for the rest of the day, regardless of whether they
] were fat or thin, researchers are reporting today.

I've long wondered about this... That sometimes it's not activity level or willpower or self-esteem or anything like that, but simply something in the body that turns appetite on and off. I know that sometimes I sit down to a fast food meal and want to finish every last french fry, while at other times I go halfway through the box and then suddenly I'm just plain not hungry any more, so I toss the rest away uneaten.

Study Finds Appetites Reduced by Hormone

] According to Cole, there are 45 "supercentenarians" --
] people 110 or older -- worldwide, 34 women and 11 men. The
] world's oldest person, according to the Gerontology
] Research Group, is Kamato Hongo, of Japan, who is 115.

Carpe Diem . . .

America's oldest person dies at 113 in California

Y'know, there might actually be something to this. Last fall, I got a taste for green tea and have been drinking multiple cups per day ever since. And all winter, I actually stayed healthy. Which is weird, because I also went to a bunch of conventions where there was a flu virus going around, and afterwards most of the attendees got *really* sick. Usually I'm like the canary in a coal mine for a flu bug, and I'm one of the first to drop -- but this year, though nearly every single one of my friends became sick as a dog, I sailed through with not so much as a sniffle from any of the conventions.

Maybe it's the tea, maybe it's the flu shot, I dunno. It's interesting though to see confirmation of something that I'd already been wondering about.

Discovery Health : Tea Said to Boost Immune System

] A new study suggests sex researchers have been
] overestimating the prevalence of sexual problems in women
] for years -- perhaps because they have been looking
] at things from a man's point of view.

I do have to admit that sometimes I get tired of having to explain, over and over, that some women do not necessarily *have* to have an orgasm in order to still enjoy sex. There's an additional dirty little secret out there too: There are some guys who say the same thing! I've met many men who, once they're encouraged to talk about their sexuality, say that they too are sometimes perfectly happy to have sex without having an orgasm. Is this sexual dysfunction, or normal human variation? I believe the latter. Ultimately, I believe that the key to happiness in bed is to realize that different people like different things, and that these likes can change from day to day, so there's no one "right" way to do it, despite what the prevailing wisdom out there is on what people's sex lives "should" be like. My advice for any couple that wants a fulfilling sex life? Don't rely solely on statistics or the opinions of the sex therapists -- go talk to your partner, and figure out what makes the two of you happiest, and then if you're both content, don't worry about what "normal" is. Communicate, communicate, communicate. :)

Study: Women Sex Problems Overestimated

An effective, low-cost solution to combating mind-control. Also known as "practical mind control protection for paranoids". :)

Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie