Their survival depends on their becoming lean, mean, gritty -- and, in particular, Web and software savvy.

FORBES: Digital rules

While productivity initially bounced after the recession, reflecting a business sector that was shedding excess costs and becoming lean.

FORBES: U.S. Productivity Falls As Labor Costs Rise Putting Pressure On Weak Job Markets

Moreover, when obese people went on a diet and lost up to a quarter of their body weight, their gut flora changed too, becoming more like those of the lean group.

ECONOMIST: The microbiome