yes, this means that instead of thinking about my talk, I'm sitting at a computer in Taiwan pasting e-mails into my weblog

I've been figuring that I could blame my recent weight gain in part on my ecological context: according to a stat I read shortly before commencing with my job here, Wisconsin has the highest rates of obesity in the United States. However, a weblog reader who is a Wisconsin native and current resident of Brockport, NY sends the following:

I came across this article about Madison, WI as the healthiest place for men, to quote:

The Best: Madison, Wisconsin

You can go an entire day without seeing fat people in Madison. Walk from the University of Wisconsin campus to the capitol square, from Lake Mendota's eastern shore to Lake Monona's western shore, and you'll see what every healthy American man dreams of seeing: choices. Jogging or kayaking? Thai food or East African? A curvy blonde reading Nietzsche or a willowy brunette reading The Onion? We saw all of the above.

(link included here

I hope this provides you some inspiration for achieving your target x weight, knowing you are apparently surrounded by the best support environment for a healthy lifestyle anywhere in the country--obviously an island in the sea of obesity that is Wisconsin.