Ill effects of poor posture more than just physical

New York

A DISTRAUGHT wife begged me to write about the importance of good posture. "My husband sits for many hours a day slouched over his computer," she said. "I've told him repeatedly this is bad for his body - he should sit up straight - but he pays no attention to me. He reads you every week. Maybe he'll listen to you."

So here goes: Yes, dear sir, listen to your wife. Slouching is bad. It's bad not only for your physical health, but also for your emotional and social well-being. More about this in a bit.