Put down that bagel.

It was just a couple of weeks ago that we noted how new hiring rules in some states dictate how employers must cover pre-existing health conditions. That mandate could inspire employers to discriminate against overweight candidates under the assumption they're predestined to have an above-average number of health problems.

Now comes a news flash from Britain: People working in IT are some of the most inactive employees in the nation. Only 19 percent of technology professionals meet government exercise guidelines, and "Furthermore, the group is also the least likely to eat well, with just 14 percent consuming five portions of fruit and vegetables a day."

Given that this comes from the country that invented the deep-fried Mars Bar, perhaps it isn't shocking. But you have to wonder what similar stats for the U.S. might reveal. The "epidemic of obesity" that seems to land on the cover of the newsweeklies every few months deserves some attention, and not just from portly database developers. While it's true that 25 years ago only nerds worked in front of computer screens all day, today everyone sits in front of a computer screen all day, including your 11-year-old kid.

So what to do? It's hard to say, other than to reflect a bit on work/life balance and start getting those New Year's resolutions in order.

-- Don Willmott