There are just some events in nature you don’t want to miss: Niagara Falls, glaciers in Alaska, the Grand Canyon. Those are relatively stable.

A total eclipse of the sun is something fleeting that you have to see on its timetable. That’s why, with his mom’s blessing, Paula and I took Riley out of school his first day back after spring break and headed for the border: we drove to Northeast Indiana to view the eclipse. (We wore Purdue shirts in honor of Paula’s alma mater and their trip to the NCAA Finals.)

As we approached the area, Riley used his eclipse glasses to give us a running account of how much the sun was blocked. Where we chose to stop resulted in about 99% of totality—better than if we had stayed in Grand Rapids. It was amazing to experience in real time. Was it worth the time to drive that far? Yes. As I said, some things you just have to see in motion.

The rest of this month is going to be about obesity and weight loss. There have been several studies and commentaries published in the last few weeks, and I have to comment on them. I’d like to think of it as a trip from the ridiculous to the sublime; I think you’ll enjoy the journey.

Insiders: our next conference call is Wednesday, April 17, at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet