My annual numbers

Every term in MS 150 Statistics I use a body fat monitor to measure the students weight and to estimate their body fat. The data is primarily used, with names stripped out, as number sets to play with during the term. Secondarily this provides information to a population at high risk of obesity and associated metabolic syndromes, number two on the planet as a percentage of the population with a BMI higher that 25. The 2012 International Diabetes Federation atlas puts the FSM at number one on the planet for diabetes. The students become inured to my exhortations to exercise, eat right, and to track their numbers.

Because I get to see the students numbers, and because I exhort those around me to get annual physicals and exercise, I always feel that sharing my numbers is incumbent on me. Although I do try to take a pill for my health, my health habits are not yet well aligned with modern heart attack prevention guidelines.

Indicator	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	Optimal
Weight				144	140	142	140
Systolic				110	100	117	110	Below 120
Diastolic				70	70	80	70	Below 80
Sugar		85	97	102	86	87	98	Below 100
Cholesterol	169	219	178	138	165	158	142	Below 200
Triglycerides					78	124
HDL		57	41	41	47	45	51	Above 45
LDL	100	144	118	86	103	88	79	Under 100
Ratio					3.5	3.5
Uric acid		7.7	6.9	7.8	6.8	7.1	9.4	Below 6
PSA				1.1	1.26		1.34
ALT				79
Heart Rate					49	60	53
Oxygen							97%
Hemoglobin					13.9	12.3
Hemocrit					41.8	39.6

The number that remains out of line is my uric acid, hitting a record high of 9.4 mg/dL.

Note that in the above chart uric acid is multiplied by a factor of ten for purposes of the chart scale.

The cholesterol drop since 2011 may in part be due to a shift to using soy milk rather than dairy milk. This was a by-product of my search for the source of gastrointestinal discomfort which ultimately turned out to be gluten intolerance. I continue to use soy milk for cereal in the morning when I can get soy milk.

Although I obviously must reduce protein intake, I also suspect that the uric acid climb is related to chronic dehydration. I know I do not drink enough pure water for the humid tropical climate in which I live.

I always encourages students, colleagues, and friends to get an annual physical. An annual physical is a dashboard view of how one's body is performing. How can one make informed decisions about necessary shifts in diet and exercise without knowing one's numbers? I have a friend who once had a car. Whenever a red light would turn on in the dashboard, he would put a piece of black electrical tape over the indicator. "That red light was worrying me, as long as I do not see it I do not worry, " he explained. Needless to say that car is no longer with us today. To not get an annual check-up seems like driving with electrical tape over your indicators. At some point you will suddenly and rather unexpectedly not have a body to walk around in. Get that check-up and then make the changes that you need to make to live a healthier and happier life.