5 a day

[TimberWolf]

A bit off topic, but does anyone know whether burning iron (in air) releases a net amount of energy (assume it can be ground), or whether it takes energy. Ditto for copper and other metals money is made of.

[d000hg]

A bit off topic, but does anyone know whether burning iron (in air) releases a net amount of energy (assume it can be ground), or whether it takes energy. Ditto for copper and other metals money is made of.

Common scientific sense says if it burns, it's exothermic, no?

[Mich the Tester]

And eat fresh food rather than processed food, butter rather than marge, and olive oil rather than processed vegetable oils.

Anyone who's been to Italy a few times might have noticed their penchant for eating chocolate cakes and whipped cream in the afternoon. Northern Italians also cook with butter and sometimes goose fat. It's just not true that the Italians have a low fat diet. However, they seem to walk more than other Europeans as their towns often have narrow streets that are no good for cars; they also tend to walk before and after meals. Of course, the climate encourages people to spend lots of time outdoors just wandering about; even when it's cold, if the sun's shining and you live in a beautiful Italian town, you're likely to go out for a walk instead of sitting indoors watching telly.

[TimberWolf]

Common scientific sense says if it burns, it's exothermic, no?

That's the word. What's the calorific value of a two pence piece?

[doodab]

Anyone who's been to Italy a few times might have noticed their penchant for eating chocolate cakes and whipped cream in the afternoon. Northern Italians also cook with butter and sometimes goose fat. It's just not true that the Italians have a low fat diet. However, they seem to walk more than other Europeans as their towns often have narrow streets that are no good for cars; they also tend to walk before and after meals. Of course, the climate encourages people to spend lots of time outdoors just wandering about; even when it's cold, if the sun's shining and you live in a beautiful Italian town, you're likely to go out for a walk instead of sitting indoors watching telly.

You don't see many slim middle aged Italians though.

[Ignis Fatuus]

Anyone who's been to Italy a few times might have noticed their penchant for eating chocolate cakes and whipped cream in the afternoon. Northern Italians also cook with butter and sometimes goose fat. It's just not true that the Italians have a low fat diet.

Absolutely. Did someone suggest that they do have a low fat diet?

[Mich the Tester]

You don't see many slim middle aged Italians though.

But you don't see many seriously obese Italians either. It seems many of them live for a long time. Maybe it's not so unhealthy to be a little bit tubby in middle age.

[Mich the Tester]

Absolutely. Did someone suggest that they do have a low fat diet?

Well lots of people have done in the past (mediterranean diet etc), but actually I was agreeing with your points and adding to them.

[doodab]

But you don't see many seriously obese Italians either. It seems many of them live for a long time. Maybe it's not so unhealthy to be a little bit tubby in middle age.

I don't know about that. You see quite a few of them wobbling around. They might not be as disgustingly well insulated as the population of walsall but they are still well into BMI > age territory.

[Mich the Tester]

I don't know about that. You see quite a few of them wobbling around. They might not be as disgustingly well insulated as the population of walsall but they are still well into BMI > age territory.

Perhaps the fat people of Walsall sit on their arses watching telly all day, and would probably die of a heart attack even if they were thin, while the fat people of Italy actually eat even more calories, but get some exercise and therefore have a cardio-respiratory system that can cope with their mass.

Perhaps. Maybe. I'm not a doctor. But then, they don't seem to know either.