Warning to dietitians: looks like you’ll all be replaced by computers in the future. Okay, I might be exaggerating a little.

But people will soon be able to carry around virtual healthcare assistants with them. It’s like the opposite of a virtual pet. Instead of taking care of a little needy virtual creature, your virtual healthcare assistant will take care of a real-life needy you.

Honestly, I can see this not going very far. People will start lying to their healthcare assistants and then getting pissed off that they can't be rewarded for their “good behavior” with a heap of chili cheese fries.

Or it could become the next new thing. People will be able to analyze their piss on-the-go and in real-time to find out whether they’ve been getting enough lycopene and vitamin C. Instantly, your virtual healthcare assistant (now under the product name HeathBuddy(TM)) will recommend, “Refuel. Replenish. Rejoice. Indulge yourself in a delicious V8(R)!“

Vegetarians tend to weigh 3 to 20 percent less than meat-eaters, according to a review which compiled data from 87 previous studies. They also have much lower rates of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Zero to six percent of vegetarians are obese, compared to 30 percent of the general population. This lower weight is independent of exercise, portion size or carbohydrate intake.

This is not much of a surprise, since vegetarians are following a specific diet and they more likely to be health conscious than those who may not be following any specific diet. But it is still good to know that vegetarianism, which is far healthier and more sustainable than most alternatives, pays off.