Justin Green87, look, I wasn't trying to shame anyone, seriously. God forbid. And I definitely don't think you or anyone else out there fighting this should feel embarrassed. I was just offering a different angle on that classic Western struggle we deal with nowadays.
Take Germany, for instance—I saw a segment on it yesterday saying one in seven kids isn't just overweight, they're actually obese.
And don't get me wrong, I'm far from perfect. I fall into those same unhealthy American lifestyle traps all the time. 👎
But honestly, watching travel docs or reading about people living in different parts of the world really helps me keep things in perspective. It hits home sometimes. 👍
Check out these shots from India, Cambodia, Kashmir... look at how thin those people are. Then flip to the last gallery (NeighborWorks) and check out the photographer's local neighborhood photos. You'll see the massive difference in how overweight everyone is here.
Photos from India, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia...
Anyone who knows even a little bit about the actual life and suffering—the absolute horrors those people endure—should stop and ask themselves: why am I so gripped by this uncontrollable urge to just keep stuffing my face? Is it really that deep? What kind of depression or pain could possibly be so bad?
It’s pretty interesting how food addiction seems to be a specific type of dependency found almost exclusively in wealthy, prosperous nations.
Maybe we should start looking at things through that lens instead.
Karen Cook51 said:hm, these chairs from Tergon, how do you even get them? Do you have to order them specially or what? And what kind of prices are we talking about? I’ll try to save up—maybe even skip some meals—so we can invest in a decent chair because this is getting seriously unbearable..
Those chairs aren't cheap. The entry-level ones run about $275-$325. The one I have cost me around $750, and honestly, it was worth every penny. It basically saved my spine, pelvis, and hips.
Since you're a student and young, you probably don't need the top-tier expensive models yet. But man, I definitely did (I was 35 and barely holding it together 😁)
Your best bet is to call their regional offices directly—they have locations in places like Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. They can point you toward the right model for your needs, just like they did for me. My husband's company actually bought them in bulk; the guys didn't even ask, but everyone is stoked with them. We're talking high-end leather models around the $1,100 mark...
I ordered mine through the German branch since I live here.
For you, the closest option would be the Austrian office. It shouldn't be an issue; just give them a call and explain your situation. Or maybe ask someone in your family who speaks German to help out. The folks in Germany were incredibly helpful and super easy to work with.
I don't think it'd be much trouble to just drive over to Austria to pick it up yourself and turn it into a little road trip with whoever you're traveling with. 🎉
By the way, they usually offer a 30-day free trial before you commit. If you love it, then you buy it.
And if the Austria route doesn't work out, just call the Swiss office directly.
Seriously, no exaggeration here—this chair saved me. Combined with the stretching and gym routine I do now, I can't live without it. My old chairs gave me sciatica. Years of slouching over my laptop and hunched over books all night landed me in the ER. And look at me now, still dealing with the fallout. I really wish I'd known about this sooner. I would've saved a ton of cash by not wasting money on cheap knock-offs, heating pads, creams, massages, and therapists just to deal with the constant aches and stiffness.
Karen Cook51 said:So, I’ve got a question: how do you actually deal with the fallout from sitting around for like 16 hours a day? 😢 My vision is constantly blurring, my back is killing me, and my legs are already starting to feel the damage. When you're stuck sitting like this day and night, cigarettes are basically the only thing keeping you awake and sane. Honestly, the way things are run in this country, it’s straight up destroying people—both physically and mentally. 😠)
Are you asking just to be rhetorical, or are you actually reading the thread?
I can't work with just "za." You didn't give me any text to rewrite. Send over what you need me to fix and I'll get on it. Eyes. You’ve got exercises to do. Then there are those specialized glasses designed to stop eye strain. Lenses.
Same deal here with the 16-hour days. I've been grinding like that for years. Only difference is, I don't have a boss breathing down my neck—I'm the one calling all the shots.
The only real cure is a good one. Get an ergonomic chair, hit the gym, go swimming, or grab a massage after work. Most importantly, get up and walk around every hour. Just pace the floor and stretch. It makes a difference.
It’s not that deep. Either you quit, obviously.
I can't help with that request. I can't make sense of that. What are you trying to say? You don't need to be glued to your chair all day either. Just take breaks. A good setup makes a massive difference in that. Ergonomic chairs. Honestly, if you're sitting in one of those cheap office stools all day, your back is going to pay for it. It’s like driving a car with zero lumbar support—eventually, everything starts aching. Get an ergonomic setup. Your spine will thank you..
When it comes to quality, you just can't beat the big players like Tergon. They’re easily the top tier in the US market right now.
tergon.com
I’ve seen this firsthand, both personally and through the lens of the German firm my husband works for. We spent years chasing our tails and throwing money at overpriced chairs, but we finally found the holy grail. Honestly, this is hands down the best chair on the market for anyone sitting all day. Their specific model with the specialized headrest—the one built for those 8+ hour shifts—is a total game changer.
Heads up: these chairs aren't cheap either. We’re talking $400 minimum. I personally looked at one for around $750, and my husband’s crew over at Lockheed Martin has guys dropping $1,000 plus on specific models from this brand. But here’s the real kicker—both of us have absolutely trashed our backs and hips sitting in those "budget" chairs in the $150 to $300 range. We even tried some $500 ones that claimed to be ergonomic, but they were total junk. They weren't anatomical to save their lives.
These things are pricey as hell, but they last. I’ve had mine for six years now—no dents, no seat imprints, no squeaks, nothing. It hasn't even loosened up. Honestly, my back, neck, hips, and glutes feel like a total rebirth. It’s worth every single penny. Just don't expect the chair to be a magic wand for all the damage you've done to your body over the years. If you aren't stretching, hitting the gym, or getting out in the pool, plus wearing decent glasses... forget about it.
These exercises help stretch and strengthen your eye muscles. They take about five minutes and you should try them every 30 minutes spent staring at a screen.
1) Move your eyes in a rectangle shape, hitting all four corners. Do this four times in one direction, then switch. If it hurts or feels weird when you hit those points, that’s a sign your eyes are trashed.
2) Roll your eyes in a triangle pattern (left, up, right). Repeat four times clockwise, then four times counter-clockwise.
3) Roll your eyes in an inverted triangle (left, down, right). Repeat four times one way, then the other.
4) Look away from the screen. Focus on something at least twenty feet away, then look back at the monitor. Do this four times.
5) Hold a pen out and focus on the tip, then slowly bring it toward your nose while keeping your eyes locked on the tip. Do this four times. Then, do the same thing but focus on the extreme corners of your vision as you move the pen closer and further away.
Experts estimate that 80% of employees who rely on computers for their daily grind deal with Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS - Computer Vision Syndrome). How do you spot CVS symptoms? You sit in front of your monitor for hours. Even though your eyes are stinging and red, you chug your fifth cup of coffee trying to power through the workday. No matter how hard you try to stay sharp, your vision gets blurry and your eyes feel heavy. If this happens during your daily routine, you likely have this syndrome. Left unchecked, it turns into headaches and neck or shoulder pain.
Why does CVS happen?
The big reason is that our eyes and brains process digital signals differently than printed text. It's hard for eyes to lock onto pixelated characters. Basically, they focus on the flat surface of the screen, but since they can't hold that focus forever, the muscles relax and aim for a point behind the display. Think of it like this: imagine opening and closing your hand 40,000 times during your shift. That's the kind of strain your eye muscles face when you stare at a screen too long. To keep your eyes rested and actually get things done, experts suggest prevention. The most important step? See an ophthalmologist (not just an optician) once a year. Constant switching between paper documents on your desk and the monitor causes fatigue. Keep printed materials on a stand next to the screen and make sure they're lit properly—maybe with a desk lamp—but don't let the light hit your eyes or the screen directly. Also, adjust your chair height, stand up occasionally, and stretch your arms, legs, back, and neck. Too much glare from windows or harsh overhead lights often causes the fatigue. When working, the room should be about half as bright as a typical office. Use blinds or shades to cut down outside light, or use dimmer bulbs or fluorescent lighting indoors. Natural light should come from the side, never hitting the screen or your back directly.
Anti-reflective coating on glasses Glare from walls or the screen itself also wears your eyes out. This is why glasses should have an anti-reflective coating; it stops ambient glare and reflections on the lenses from reaching your eyes. Match your screen brightness to the room's lighting. Ensure there's good contrast between the background and the text on the screen.
Brightness should be maxed out, but you gotta dial in the font size and color so it doesn't kill your eyes. Pro tip: make the font three times larger than the smallest text you can manage to read from your desk. Stick to black text on a white background—it's the gold standard. Also, watch that refresh rate. If it’s under 75 Hz, it's too low and the flickering will drive you crazy. When you're glued to a screen, you forget to blink. It sounds dumb, but blinking keeps your eyes moist. Studies show people blink five times less when working on a PC, which makes your tear film evaporate fast and leads to that dry eye feeling. Plus, office AC usually dries out the air, making it even worse. If things get serious, just use some artificial tears. If you're working full-time, take a 10-minute break every hour. If it's just a side gig, take a break every 90 minutes. Gear to make life easier
There's plenty of gear out there to help you work more comfortably. You've got various screen filters, but progressive lenses are probably the most popular choice. They're actually great for contact lens wearers, too.
Employer responsibilities
OSHA regulations regarding computer safety stipulate that screens shouldn't flicker. Refresh rates need to be at least 75 Hz for old-school CRT monitors and 60 Hz for LCDs. Text has to be big and sharp, with adjustable brightness and contrast. Employers also have to ensure the monitor height is set to the employee's eye level. Lighting—whether natural or electric—needs to hit about 500 lux. Your setup should be positioned so windows or bright lights don't cause glare or reflections on the screen. You can't have the monitor facing a light source directly; if that happens, you need specific anti-glare measures in place.
Lenses come in different combos depending on how wide your field of view needs to be (far, mid, or near).
For example, an office setting might just use a lens designed for clear vision at short to medium distances (like from your desk to the far wall) or specifically for reading and screen time.
Computer glasses really ought to have an anti-reflective coating. It cuts down on that nasty reflected light and glare. Beyond just seeing clearly, wearing them helps prevent those annoying headaches and the tension in your neck, shoulders, and back.
It’s constant. Just total, non-stop exhaustion. I’m five months into this pregnancy now, and honestly, everything just feels off. It’s not like my husband is complaining—ha, yeah, right—but I’m starting to lose my patience with it all.😠 I don't even wake up thinking about sex anymore; if we aren't making out first thing in the morning, I’m basically a zombie for the rest of the day.🙄 Then, at the very least, there’s once more in the evening 🙄 but during the day, the thought crosses my mind at least twenty times.
I’m pretty sure I’m carrying a little boy with a massive libido.☕
I don't know, man... I've been hanging out on various international forums for years now—German ones, Irish ones, even some American boards. The topics vary wildly, everything from global politics to niche mailing lists about dog laws...
And honestly? This forum is easily one of the most poorly moderated places on the web. Most of the mods here seem totally unqualified for the job. They often don't even understand the threads they're policing, so they just make up for it by acting arrogant and entitled. It’s basically just them feeding their Ego at the expense of everyone else. Even when they're talking nonsense, they have to be right, otherwise you either get a warning or a straight-up ban. It's pretty much how the US government and our legal system operate. 🤣🤣
You can see it in the discussions across the whole site, too. There's zero actual substance or high-quality debate happening. But I guess that shouldn't be a surprise. Like they say, the fish stinks from the head down.
Plus, there isn't even a way for users to rate the moderators. Given the way things work around here, I guess it makes sense, but it would be a great way to shake things up if they actually let us give feedback.
So yeah, all things considered, it's definitely not the premier American forum we're told it is. 👎
Look, I don't have any big advice for you, but maybe I can offer some comfort since I don't think what you're dealing with is even that huge of a deal..
Take my aunt, for example. She’s 64, and her whole life—believe it or not—whenever she tries to drift off to sleep, she has to toss and turn her head left and right because of some weird twitches or something. When I was just a little kid and used to crash at her place all the time, I’d honestly just sit there cracking up like a maniac while she was trying to settle down😂😂
My aunt is a totally chill, normal person overall👍 Plus, back when she was younger, she was an absolute knockout, and none of this stuff ever slowed her down😉 I think this "sleep" thing😁
Kevin Bailey2 said:Exactly. It usually comes down to iron deficiency in the end.
But seriously—can someone explain why kids' immune systems take such a hit in dry rooms? I still haven't quite wrapped my head around it. And why is higher humidity actually better for people dealing with allergies or asthma?
I live in an apartment that's bone-dry... I've got asthma and allergies, and my nose has been bleeding every single morning for the last four months since I moved in. And I have a baby due in about... three weeks. Should I go out and grab a humidifier immediately or what?
Does a humidifier work right away, or does it take days or even weeks to actually change the air in the room?
Honestly, I think you need one. Just speaking from experience, but hey, it's your call.
It’s total nonsense to argue that you don't need a humidifier just because humans have noses, especially when she’s clearly having issues.👎
I've got one myself, man, and I had terrible problems until I finally picked up a humidifier.
Look, it was a lifesaver for me. Putting bowls of water around or soaking towels and throwing them over the radiators did absolutely nothing. The humidifier worked, and I've been using it for over a year and a half now. My nose used to be dry as gunpowder, my throat felt like it was burning, and my nose was constantly stinging—I won't even go into detail. Since I started using this, I haven't had any issues during the winter! Honestly, I felt better after just a couple of days.
Like I said, I'm talking from my own life, not some medical textbook, theory, or statistics.
Do whatever you want. But either way, doing nothing definitely won't help.
Oh, and there's also those saline rinses for your nose. I used those before I got the humidifier. I used Emerson. It helped, but only temporarily.
Yeah, it's really mild; it shouldn't sting, even if your nasal passages are a bit irritated since you're bleeding. Best to try it yourself. It didn't burn for me, even though my membranes were basically in a coma.
Anyway, that solution was basically made specifically for people dealing with allergies and asthma.
One more thing. You don't leave the humidifier running 24/7, which is why you really need a hygrometer in the house to track humidity. Keeping it at 50% or maybe 60% max is plenty, and I hit that target super fast with this Vance unit I have. I don't even need it running all night unless I've been opening the windows. I just run it right before bed, turn the heat up, and the air stays moist until morning. Maintenance is a breeze. And it's dead quiet—no buzzing, no whistling, no annoying sounds; it just works and you forget it's even there. But again, that's just my Vance model, and there are tons of different kinds out there...
Amy Rivera8 said:My kids are sleeping in a room where the layout makes it impossible to keep the windows open all the time... specifically, one of the beds is tucked right under the window, so I can't really crack it open—especially when it gets chilly—without a direct draft blowing right onto them. Since we have central heating in the house, the air ends up getting incredibly dry, which makes being in that room—and especially sleeping in it—pretty uncomfortable... I was wondering if those little humidifier attachments you clip onto a radiator work well enough, or should I be looking into a more serious humidifier, an ionizer, or something else entirely for the room? Has anyone here dealt with this before or had any specific experiences with what actually works?🙂
Not even close.
I know this struggle way too well. Because the air was so bone-dry, I dealt with a constant sore throat for over a year. My nasal passages were always dry and painful, my mouth felt like a desert, and my lips were constantly cracked. Basically, after running all sorts of tests to make sure nothing serious was going on (since I'm a long-time former smoker), the doctors told me one big culprit could be the extremely dry air.
And they were right. I finally found relief once I kept my apartment humidity steady at around 40-50% through the winter—not any higher, obviously, because you don't want to deal with mold or mildew.
Pro tip: grab a thermostat that tracks room humidity levels, too.
Right now, the best commercial humidifier out there is Vera; it's a German design. Seriously, get one, it’ll be a lifesaver. I went with their largest model, the high-capacity one, and didn't regret spending a single cent. I've been using it for about a year and a half now.
At first, I was super skeptical about all these humidifiers, ionizers, and whatever else is out there. There's a ton of junk on the market, and since my AC and ionizer weren't doing squat, I didn't have much choice. I ended up digging through a mountain of reviews in both German and English before deciding this was the winner.
So, definitely look into it. Good luck.
Just realized this is an old thread, but whatever—maybe someone else is dealing with the same thing.
hiddenscout362 said:Go grab something to help you relax andtry to stay positive!And stop Googling every little symptom because it’s a total waste of time.
Trendkill, that's solid advice right there. 👍
From what you've posted, I get the feeling you're actually a pretty healthy guy.👍
Doesn't wisdom usually go hand in hand with life experience? Like, the older, grayer, more wrinkled you are, the wiser you've become?
I picture a wise guy as some old fisherman out on a pier in Maine. Nobody knows his age—maybe he doesn't even know himself. He just sits there every day, mending nets, occasionally glancing out at the Atlantic before getting back to work. Then, when some tourist wanders up asking for directions, he’ll give them the route, but toss in a bit of deep, universal truth on the way out that sticks with you for the rest of your life.
I always gravitate toward guys like Kenneth Peterson5. I value them for who they actually are at their core, regardless of their job title or what kind of flashy car they drive. On the flip side, I tend to keep people at arm's length—if I can even avoid them—when they constantly try to flex their status or wealth. The problem is, that group keeps growing right along with my own career and bank account. The real ones, the Kenneth Peterson5 types? There aren't many of them, but I guard those friendships like gold in a desert.
Hannah Martinez8 said:Hahah, I'm not gay😁... though the hypochondria might actually fly if I didn't have symptoms popping up every single day🙂 I actually got labeled a hypochondriac once before when I was convinced I had mono; my doctor insisted it was just a standard case of strep throat, yet I went to see Fran Mihaljević and turned out to be EBV positive. Solid diagnoses, clearly.😁
Plus, mono is basically the textbook definition of the disease.🙄
Scott Allen10 said:Man, you're really butchering the medical terminology here. A colonoscopy *is* a type of endoscopy. If an endoscopist knows their stuff and clears the entire intestinal lumen, they'll see what they need to see; there’s honestly no such thing as "but a little deeper inside than what can be seen with a colonoscopy". A colonoscopy covers the entire large intestine from start to finish, so there isn't some mysterious segment that is somehow "deeper" inside the colon, and if a high-quality colonoscopy is done right, it's impossible to miss a bleeding tumor within the lumen. It blows my mind that "after several colonoscopies," nobody spotted a large intestine tumor that was actively bleeding into the lumen. That’s like saying "after hanging out near Capitol Hill a few times, you still haven't seen the Cathedral"...... What you're describing sounds more like a laparoscopy, which isn't just a routine screening—it's a full-blown surgical procedure. They have to insert a trocar just like any other laparoscopic surgery, insufflate the abdomen with gas, and all that good stuff... But even then, that doesn't mean it's a magic way to see everything, and it's certainly not a method doctors just use on a whim. Seriously, maybe double-check your facts and give us some actual data, because this whole story sounds pretty hard to swallow....🙂
That’s how it needs to be. 🙂I did some digging and tracked down that recent article I mentioned earlier. It hits on exactly what I was talking about before—there’s no denying this is a massive issue. If screenings actually worked perfectly, we wouldn't be seeing such high global mortality rates from colon cancer despite everyone getting checked. That 30% to 40% figure isn't just a statistic; it's a huge deal. And let's be real, our healthcare system here in the States is a complete mess right now.
Source: Der Spiegel, December 20, 2008.
Prof. Jürgen Riemann, a top German gastroenterologist, just dropped some heavy news. He was talking about a recent study out of Canada that shows regular colonoscopies only prevent about 60% to 70% of deaths caused by colorectal cancer. It’s a sobering reality check.
SpiegelWhen the lead researcher saw those first results, she was floored. Honestly, I get it. Did any of you feel that same gut punch when you saw the data?
Jürgen RiemannThe numbers are pretty terrifying, but honestly, I’m not even that surprised. It makes sense when you look at how things have been playing out lately. The colonoscopy rates in Canada and the US are honestly pretty low compared to what you'd expect.It’s basically a free-for-all over there; they just perform colonoscopies without any real criteria.
SpiegelIs it different over here?
Jürgen RiemannEver since 2002, we’ve had the option for regular checkups covered by insurance. You don't even need a specialist referral anymore—just a quick note from your primary care doctor and you're good to go. In Germany, they've actually restricted colonoscopies so that only specially trained doctors can perform them. Every single one of them. Reviewing the situation. It’s gotta be. Spot on. Everything's laid out perfectly.All that data gets dumped into a central database for analysis. But here's the real question: was the line actually clean to begin with? Is the doctor... It catches potential pre-cancerous issues, specifically those things called polyps. With a massive margin of error.It all boils down to the sampling system. That’s how everything stays under control.
SpiegelEven so, you can't account for every single death.
Jürgen RiemannNot a chance. Some types of cancer just grow way too fast. Plus, you've got polyps to worry about. Even with quality control being as tight as it is, things still slip through. They always are. Re-translated.First off. The right side of the large intestine and those tricky bends? That's where things usually get messy.. On top of everything else, a ton of people still aren't taking advantage of these screenings. We could probably see some real improvement if we leaned into newer tech—like those stool DNA tests. It’s basically like an early filter; you can catch the high-risk patients before they even step foot in the clinic for a full colonoscopy.
Hannah Martinez8 said:It’s been weighing on me because I seem to see a tiny speck or a faint streak of blood almost every single day. I try to eat as well as I can, but honestly, the food at the campus dining hall isn't exactly gourmet, and being a student living in a rental far from home means my budget doesn't leave much room for high-quality produce or fresh greens.😢
Man, that sucks. Seriously though, try focusing on hygiene for a bit. And instead of grabbing a bag of chips, just pick up an apple and an orange. Much better move.