"Sitting is the new smoking." Or so goes the newest bit of health wisdom making the rounds. James Levine, co-director of the Mayo Clinic/Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative, says sitting may be worse than smoking.

In a new book — titled not so subtly "Get Up!" — Levine says science proves that posting our posteriors in chairs for most of the day is killing us. More precisely, he estimates that we lose two hours of life for every hour we sit, which Levine asserts is not natural and is conducive to all manner of physical ailments, including obesity.

Levine says the solution is simple: Move more and more often. Intersperse work at your desk with walks around the office. Take a stroll after dinner. Take a stroll after every meal, something Levine claims to do.

Levine has another solution for the workplace: the treadmill desk, which allows you to rack up the miles while not actually going anywhere — and still get all those reports to your boss. It should be noted, though, that the treadmill desk may be a favorite of Levine's for more than one reason; he invented it.

Body of Knowledge

After age 30, the brain begins to lose neurons at a rate of about 50,000 per day, shrinking 0.25 percent in mass each year.

Get Me That, Stat!

A study by Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy reports that when 1 percent of a state's working population lost jobs, suicide-related behaviors increased by 2 to 3 percent among teen girls and black adolescents in the following year.

Number Cruncher

A slice of DiGiorno pepperoni pizza (125 grams) contains 340 calories, 144 from fat. It has 16 grams of total fat, or 25 percent of the recommended total fat intake for a 2,000-calorie daily diet, according to the CalorieCount database.

It also contains 35 milligrams of cholesterol (12 percent), 800 milligrams of sodium (33 percent), 33 grams of total carbohydrates (11 percent), 3 grams of dietary fiber, 5 grams of sugar and 17 grams of protein.

Phobia of the Week

Ophthalmophobia: fear of being stared at.

Never Say Diet

The speed-eating record for chocolate chip cookies is 5.125 pounds in six minutes, achieved by Tom Gilbert at the Blue Baker's World Chocolate Chip Cookie Eating Championship. Warning: Do not try this at home.

Observation

"Lucky Charms are like the vampires of breakfast cereal. They're magical, they're delicious, they're a little bit dangerous and bad for you. They initially make you feel great, but then over time you realize that maybe your relationship with Lucky Charms is just a little bit unhealthy and you start to think, 'Maybe I don't want to be in a long-term relationship with a breakfast cereal that tastes delicious but damages my health.' But then the Lucky Charms gets all stalker on you and for some reason you kind of like that. It makes you feel special. So yeah, you spend your life with Lucky Charms. That's awesome. That's a great way to ... get diabetes." — American author John Green

Medical History

This week in 1973, the first computer-assisted tomography scan — or CAT scan — was made.

Curtain Calls

In 564 B.C., the Greek pankratiast (a combination of boxing and wrestling) Arrhichion of Phigalia inadvertently caused his own death during the Olympic finals. He was caught in a stranglehold by an unidentified opponent and could not escape. His trainer encouraged him not to submit and told him death in the ring would be glorious. Arrhichion responded by kicking his opponent with his right foot while casting his body to the left, causing his opponent so much pain that the opponent signaled surrender to the umpires. However, the opponent had not loosened his grip on Arrhichion, and the sudden movement caused the latter's neck to snap. Because the opponent had conceded defeat, Arrhichion was proclaimed victor posthumously.

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