Let's face it, while technology has unquestionably served to make our lives better in many ways, it's also made us a lot fatter. Electric scooters, e-commerce, TiVo--convenience translates to an increase in waistline inches, a point I believe aptly demonstrated by the highly scientific chart that I've created, at left.

Sometimes, however, technology attempts to invert said (highly scientific) graph. These technologies often incorporate the word 'master' into their names and are sold on late night television by former celebrities, at $19.95 a pop.

Occasionally, existing technologies not originally designed to trim fat are co-opted for just that purpose. Some folks in Japan are attempting to do just that, using the explosion of camera phones in their country to battle the nation's collectively increasing pants size. Worried by the murky sea of calories lurking on the plate in front of you? Snap a picture and send it to a nutritionist.

Nutritionists on the receiving end examine the photo and send back the results--a process that takes about three days. Your food will no doubt have gone cold by then, but the concept behind the project seems to be a 'for future reference' proposition,' or perhaps waiting for the results will help wean you off of food altogether.

[Via CNN]