Confessions of a blurb reader

My name is Chris, and I'm a blurb reader.

I'm working on it, I really am. I'm just finishing a book, The Tipping Point, which will be the first thing I've read, of any substantial length, for quite some time. I have a tendency of looking for blurbs -- in magazines, on websites, and even on the assembly directions for Ikea furniture.

Maybe this is a carry-over from my high school days when I was the Cliff Notes king (I put together quite an impressive yellow and black-colored library in those four years, let me tell you). Whatever the case may be, I seem to prefer my information to be short, sweet, and to the point. Hopefully you don't prefer the same, for I've now droned on for two paragraphs before getting to my own.

The Facts of Life. No, not the show with Blair, Tudy, and Mrs. Garrett; rather, the very interesting health and fitness blurbs that appear sporadically throughout every edition of Men's Health magazine -- they are perfect for someone like me. Appearing in little, yellow boxes every few pages or so, you're sure to find some worthwhile, but entirely random, tidbits like these:

20 - Percentage of Men Who've Never Had Their Cholesterol Checked

6,520 - Average Number of Dollars a Hospital Charges to Deliver a Baby

20 - Percentage Increase in the Price of Low-Calorie Foods Since 2005. At the Same Time, High-Calorie Food Costs Remained the Same.

40- Percentage Boost in Antioxidants When Produce is Grown Organically

54 - Percentage of Adults Who Have Acne

64 - Percentage of Active Adults Who Suffer From Joint Pain

19 - Percentage Increase in Arm Strength You'll Develop by Performing Cardio After Lifting Weights (Not Before)

Are you an admitted blurb reader, too? Have any of your own health and fitness blurbs you'd like to add? Feel free to do so in the comments section below.