Alex Beam, columnist for the Boston Globe, is not only a friend and former colleague, but one of the only columnists I've followed over time because he's deft at carving out niches that others never conceive.

But in his nutrition niche, he's not nearly as counterintuitive as he strives to be. He is a clueless wanker, repeatedly and again, just like everyone else.

Welcome to another episode of “10 Words or Less,” in which I ask brief questions of interesting people and request brief answers in return. I’m Michael Prager, an author, professional speaker, and lifestyle and wellbeing coach. I began this interview series in 2002 while working at the Boston Globe, so today’s guest joins a long and distinguished list. He’s an outspoken leader on corporate wellness programs who holds undergrad and law degrees from Harvard, and in 2013, Forbes Magazine named him one of “13 To Watch” in health care.

If it seems like I’m piling on with this, my second response to Al Lewis’s HuffPo column on wellness and overweight, that’s OK. I know Al can handle it. I’m making it a second post because the first one was 2,500-words plus, way longer than I (and many readers) prefer.

I’m fond of Al Lewis, but we don’t always agree. In this HuffPost column, which I’m just catching up on, he equates all efforts to address obesity within wellness programs as fat-shaming. And that’s just overstatement born of inadequate understanding.

It’s OK, Al, I’m here to help, in the spirit of sharing.

I’ve been very tardy in writing about this development, but today was the day, I guess.

Longtime readers will know that I pledged some time ago not to link to the Center for Consumer Freedom, a liar-ly named Rick Berman site. When I did insert a link, it was to this explanation of why I wouldn’t link to it.  

This story at BeverageDaily.com begins this way:

"Sweetened drinks shouldn’t even be subject to excise duty, never mind an elevated sugar tax, according to the Indonesian drinks industry." It goes on to say, of course, that up to X number of workers will lose their jobs if... (In this case, X=120,000.)

Jeff Clark, writing on TechCrunch.com, talks about "The Real Reason We Should Be Thinking About Sustainability," and we clearly speak each other's language. 

I did an interview with Business Innovators Magazine a while back, and they recently posted it. Good questions, I thought, and I am pleased with the result. I hope you'll check it out to render your opinion.

This version of "10 Words" veers a bit from the typical, in that it became more of a conversation than an interview. That helps explain why it runs longer than usual. But I'd put it up with practically any of its siblings for interest and illumination. Enjoy!

Putnam is CEO of Motion Infusion, a well-being training and consulting firm based in the Bay Area, and the author of Workplace Wellness That Works, published by Wiley.