For The Union-Tribune
Fatty breath
Engineers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) have created a portable device that detects when the body starts burning fat while dieting or exercising.
The device detects the acetone content in exhaled breath nearly as accurately as a much larger mass spectrometer. Acetone is the by-product of fat metabolism that is exhaled via the lungs. The body makes it when it burns fat instead of carbohydrates, such as sugar.
The device is reminiscent of the alcohol Breathalyzers used by police in traffic checks and can be operated reliably by nonexperts with a smartphone app, say the engineers. People could monitor their fat metabolism without professional support or blood tests.
Body of knowledge
The middle part of the back is the least sensitive surface of the body. Maybe that’s why you never feel a backstabber coming?
Counts
Nearly 3 in 4 — Ratio of U.S. adults who say they felt very tired or exhausted at least some days in the past three months
1 in 6 — Ratio of adults who said they experienced frequent fatigue, as in most days or every day
20 — Percentage of women who reported frequent fatigue (compared to 13% for men)
So...