I have always been intrigued with futuristic ideas and how these advancements change our lives. While growing up, I was a fan of The Jetsons. Today I find it quite interesting how the writers of that animated sitcom reached into the future and how close those 1962 ideas are to our modern everyday lives. Nearly 50 years after the conception of The Jetsons, what have we learned or taken with us into the 21st century?
In the 1960s we had huge clunky vacuum cleaners making housecleaning a dreaded chore. The Jetsons had a robot named Rosie who took care of cleaning and cooking; she helped the children with their homework while dispensing occasional advice on parenting. Today some of us have robots named “Roomba®” that constantly vacuum our carpets, microwave ovens that prepare a meal in minutes, and computers that help our children with homework and provide entertainment. The computers are also a good resource for parenting topics—advice is always at hand.
Microwave ovens, robotic vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, and computers are a few of the once farfetched futuristic appliances that are now commonplace in households across America. In the new millennium, we have not fared so well advancing our health. Everyone in the Jetson household was trim and fit with the exception of Rosie, the robot. Even with all the labor saving devices, the show always ended with George Jetson getting his daily exercise by walking his dog Astro on the treadmill.
Future medical advancements and breakthroughs are exciting and add hope to our lives. This week in my readings, I came across an article on cryolypolysis, which is a promising innovative technological approach to fat loss. Dr. Jeffrey Dover at Yale University of Medicine is conducting the research. Cryolypolysis works by freezing fat cells below the surface, and as the fat cells are cooled, they begin a process of natural cell death and the body removes them. This procedure does not require needles, incisions, anesthesia, pain medications, or surgical incisions. The best part is that there is no recovery time; however, the drawback is that it takes three to four months for those fat bulges to flatten out. In the small control group, 100% of the participants averaged a fat layer reduction of 22%. This research shows great promise in the battle of the bulge.
Prevention is the best remedy for any illness or condition, and weight loss is no exception. As the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” (pun intended). Even the Jetsons took time out of their exhausting 9 hour work week to exercise and stay fit. No matter what the future holds, nothing will take the place of a balanced diet and daily exercise. The Jetsons didn’t realize the impact of conveniences on our waistlines, so until experts perfect cryolypolysis, you might want to say “no” to that second helping of mashed potatoes and gravy this holiday season.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
