How about those San Francisco 49ers? After a disappointing 2008 campaign that showed some promises of hope, it looks like this Niners team is ready to deliver on that hope in 2009.

Like Scylla and Charybdis, the twin sea monsters of Greek mythology, diabetes and obesity are the twin medical monsters confronting America’s children. Diabetes and obesity have even been featured as the story line in a recent episode of Law & Order, a show well-known for focusing on issues that matter.

You need to stop smoking! Don’t sneak off and smoke, that’s for teenagers. What are you, a rebel??!!! All the cool people are in the gyms, working on their aerobic capacity. You don’t want to be left out. You want to be as cool as ever. Stop smoking cigarettes now. Don’t let tobacco control your life.

Some people believe that sugar addictions are not real. However, recent research has shown that sugar has drug-like effects on the brain. And anything drug-like is probably not good for your flabby arm mission.

Lately, when I’ve been interviewed about smoking cessation, the host will usually ask, “Isn’t nicotine addiction the reason most people are not able to successfully quit smoking?” They are surprised when I tell them nicotine is not a real addictive substance because it doesn’t have the characteristics of an addictive substance. The drive or compulsion to smoke cigarettes is strictly psychological.