What are the advantages/disadvantages of using olive oil instead of corn oil in terms of fat content, cholesterol, etc.?

I have a frying pan from which the Teflon coating is beginning to flake off. Last night I was cooking a dish involving a white sauce when I noticed what could only have been flakes of Teflon in the sauce. I threw the meal out, as I had a roommate tell me one time that Teflon is poisonous; but flaky Teflon frying pans seem pretty common. I couldn't find anything on the web to say that Teflon was bad for you in that form. Are there any health risks that go with eating from pans where the Teflon is coming off?

Do you have any suggestions for me on losing weight? I feel so intimidated going to a fitness center because of the looks I get. I really do. It seems like an individual has to be thin to go into fitness centers now-a-days. I should say some of them are that way.

Can you tell me a way to figure out my basic metabolism?

Why is it I can always run a greater distance on a track than I can on a treadmill? On a track, I can run five or six miles, but on a treadmill, I can only go a maximum of three or four, then I tucker out. Is it because I get more bored on a treadmill, or is there a more physical explanation?

I am a second year Nutrition student and have a question about protein and endurance athletes. Why are their protein requirements greater than they are for resistance athletes? Is it because the muscle glycogen stores get depleted over a long period of time with intense exercise? If so, should they consume more carbohydrates than resistance athletes, with a low glycemic index prior to their workout?