Health Problems Related to the Geek Lifestyle

jonasj writes "A doctor and former programmer has written a good article on common geek health problems. From the article: 'If I were to go and try to run a few miles this weekend, I would not be able to easily do so. [...] However, if you take one of the these college basketball athletes, any of them would be able to run miles without even breathing heavy. However, if you made them sit down and try to learn Java for 12 hours a day, most of them would be asleep at their desk before lunch. The typical geek trains their brain to be heavily focused while multitasking day after day. Is it surprising that this same brain does not do well when forced to isolate down to one task?'"

Comments

Balance, it's all about Balance

[rueger]

Several years ago I finally figured out a few things.

If I do one thing at a time it gets done faster, and with better results than if I try to multitask.

If I get out for exercize - any exercize - a couple of times a week I feel better and can work more productively.

If I limit work to something like 9-5 (well, actually 10-4) I get more done, with better results.

If I have interests outside work like art, or film, or reading, or just hiking in the woods, my work improves.

Despite the Wal-Martization of work in North America, it remains true that a healthy, balanced lifestyle allows you to work faster and more productively.

Yes, the less that I work, the more that I am able to do.

Multitask / one task?

[aapold]

I disagree completely. I fit most of the geek stereotypes, but I typically focus on one thing to the point of complete oblivion of all else, especially when coding. I ignore the time and other things that get in the way. When forced to break my train of thought, it can take me like 5-10 minutes to get back the state I was in before where I have the complete grasp on all aspects of what I'm working on.

This guy needs to get out more

[Schezar]

I'm a geek. I work for IBM. I run several websites in my spare time. I play German board games. I watch anime, and in fact ran the largest anime club in the US for several years. I do a freaking podcast four nights a week.

You want to know what I did last Sunday? I climbed a mountain. Yesterday, after work, I ran 4 miles. Today, I'm going to run another 4. Last week, I biked 10. I lift weights. I play DDR.

Being a geek has NOTHING to do with being a lazy fat ass. Using that as an excuse is pathetic. A pasty, weak geek sitting in his parents' basement in front of a computer is no better off than a pasty, beer-bellied sports geek sitting in his livingroom in front of a TV.

Mind and body are both important. To exercise one at the expense of the other is unbalanced and unhealthy (severe medical problems aside). The Greeks knew this. The Romans knew this. It's nothing new.

Eat your cake and burn the calories, too.

[iamlucky13]

I'm sorry, why can't a person be both a geek and healthy? Just give up 30 minutes of WoW, 3 times a week, and go run/ride/lift/stretch/something. And cut down on the grilled stuffed burritos and mountain dew. You'll be glad to have done it the next time you have to lug your gaming rig with the dual video cards, 12 cooling fans, and a 20 pound power supply to a LAN party.

For that matter, why can't a person be both an athlete and geeky? Think of plays as functions. Your selector class reads a variable passed by the QB/coach/point guard, then picks a function and executes the steps. Coaches spend enough time pounding plays into jocks heads, so someone might as well take pride in being good at learning them quickly and executing them properly. OOP. Object Oriented Playmaking. The only drawback is when endzone_dance() gets stuck in an endless do/while loop.

I recognize some people have truly crappy jobs and spend 12 hours a day in front of a monitor, but I'd be more than willing to bet that the vast majority of geeks have time to spare for exercising and healthy cooking if they're willing to re-arrange their priorities a little.

You're right though. I'm not seeing much of a story in this. Exercising and eating right makes you healthier. Doing brain work helps intellectual acuity.

Re:This is insulting

[PCM2]

Yes, I consider myself a tech enthusiast and know my way around most things electronic (and mechanical) pretty well. I would not be posting here if I wasn't. But to make a blanket statement that people who are techies have poor health habits is absurd.

And the funny thing is, for all the people here who seem to be up in arms about the article, nowhere does the author make that statement. All he says is that, in his practice, he sees recurrent themes of health problems that can be attributed to behaviors, behaviors which he thinks of as being part of "the geek lifestyle" based on his own personal experience.

Said health problems can be summed up so:

1. People who have poor sleep habits have trouble sleeping.
2. Environmental issues in the office can cause headaches, as can undiagnosed eyesight problems.
3. Poor attention to ergonomics can also cause back pain.
4. A work environment that encourages "multitasking" and constant interruptions can lead to mental fatigue and difficulty concentrating.

Nowhere does he say anything about couch potatoes, sedentary lifestyles, eating Cheez Doodles and drinking Mountain Dew, or any of the other things that people assume he's talking about because, as usual, they have not RTFA.