KNIGHT WATCH

CAN'T WE ALWAYS LIVE HEALTHIER?

Changing sleep-wake habits could make it easier to stop smoking. In a study published in the journal Addiction, researchers followed approximately 23,000 pairs of twins up to 30 years and found night people were 3 times likelier to smoke and 27% less likely to quit than day people. The researchers hypothesized night people could be more prone to pleasure-seeking behavior and addiction because of being influenced by the brain’s dopamine and opioid systems. It seems “early to bed, early to rise” might at least make you healthier – and give you a head start on being wealthy and wise.

Exercise and a healthy diet can make you healthier and lower your blood pressure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of Americans with high blood pressure has remained 30% for 10 years. However, the number of people ages 18-39 being treated for high blood pressure has increased from 27.6% in 1999 to 49.1% in 2008. Doctors aren’t surprised because obesity – a contributing cause for high blood pressure – is also increasing in this age group. It seems young adults prefer taking a pill than taking advice about healthier living.

However, there’s more advice about healthier living. It may prevent colon cancer. According to Danish researchers, 23% of colon cancer could be prevented if 5 recommendations were followed: 30 minutes of exercise daily; a maximum of 7 alcoholic drinks weekly for women - 14 for men; no smoking; a high fiber diet with at least 3 cups of fruits/vegetables daily, no more than 1 pound of red/processed meat weekly and less than 30% of calories from fat; a maximum waist size of 34.6 inches for women - 40.1 for men. The more recommendations followed, the lower the risk of following in the wake of the #3 cancer in the U.S.

Aspirin may be part of healthier living. It may help in the treatment of prostate cancer. Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School looked at a study of 5,275 men whose cancer hadn’t spread beyond the prostate gland. Of those men 1,982 were taking aspirin or other anticoagulants. The men taking anticoagulants had a 4% risk of dying from prostate cancer after 10 years. Those not taking them had a 10% risk. Researchers hypothesized anticoagulants – especially aspirin – prevent cancer from spreading – prostate, colon and breast cancer. It’s the news about aspirin that shouldn’t be prevented from spreading.

 

ISN'T THE WHOLE WORLD OUR ENVIRONMENT?

The orangutans in Borneo are in danger of extinction. Although in 2010 it’s estimated there are 11,000, they could be gone in 60 years because of inbreeding and loss of habitat. The long-term solution is reforestation. Forests have been cut for development, logging and palm oil plantations, isolating groups of orangutans on opposite sides of rivers. Because finding new mates will increase the species chances for survival, old fire hoses have been slung across rivers or used to make bridges. Orangutans can’t swim – and humans – when it comes to the environment – have difficulty keeping their heads above water too.

Deforestation is one cause of global warming and global warming is killing coral. According to a study done by the ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University, a mass of abnormally hot water moved into the Indian Ocean in mid-2010, increasing the water temperature 4 degrees Centigrade. This caused corals to shed algae that nourish them. When algae are gone, corals starve and appear bleached. Coral coverage in affected areas could drop from 50% to 10%, unable to support as much marine life. The hot water was caused by carbon emissions warming the atmosphere – a carbon copy of what humans are doing elsewhere.

Cows contribute to global warming. They produce methane gas, a greenhouse gas. However, manure can be put in a digester. The methane released by the manure bubbles to the top, passes through a pipe to a generator and is used to produce electricity. California is the biggest dairy state. John Fiscalini is a California farmer who spent $4 million on a digester, followed by $200,000 to control the pollution created by the generator. Until cheaper pollution controls are available, states like New York and Wisconsin – with different air quality restrictions – won’t be “cowed” by regulations.

Landfills also produce methane gas. Nationwide landfills – a $50 billion business - are responsible for 22% of human-related methane emissions. That’s second only to methane gas produced by livestock. After processing, landfill gas is identical to natural gas from underground reservoirs. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. has 2,300 landfills and 520 capture and burn methane gas to make electricity – enough to power 688,000 homes. In fact, landfills supply approximately 1% of the nation’s natural gas demand. With plans to turn yard clippings and food waste into gasoline, landfills seem to be filled with potential too.

 

CAN PARENTS FALL OFF THE LEARNING CURVE?

Watching violence – on television, in movies, in videos and video games – desensitizes teens to violence. A study published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience had 22 boys ages 14-17 watch violent scenes from 60 videos while having their emotions measured by brain scans and finger electrodes. Boys with the most exposure to violent media were the most desensitized. If boys experienced violence in their own environment, they became desensitized to that too. That wasn’t surprising. What was surprising was that for teens who watch violent media 3-4 hours daily, violence becomes their environment – requiring “parental environmentalists”.

Bullying is a form of violence and 17% of students are bullied regularly. That’s the 2010 finding of a Clemson University nationwide survey of 524,054 students at 1,593 schools over a 2-year period. Of those bullied, 40% of girls and 45% of boys said it had been going on – verbally, physically or online – for more than a year. Thirty percent of boys in grades 3-5 said teachers weren’t much help. In grades 9-12 60% of boys said the same thing. Although bullying decreases as children get older, older children are less likely to talk about it – making it necessary for parents and teachers to “take bullying by the horns”.

The number of fatal All Terrain Vehicle crashes involving children hasn’t decreased. It’s gone up. Public health experts estimate at least 150 children are killed yearly by ATV accidents and 4,000 are hospitalized. A 2010 study by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows the number of children hospitalized for ATV injuries has more than doubled since 1966. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Surgeons recommend children under 16 not ride ATV’s. It’s a danger they don’t want to “let ride”.

However, the number of fatal car crashes involving 16 and 17-year-old drivers decreased 36% from 2004 to 2008. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the decrease is primarily due to graduated driving license (GDL) programs that exist in 49 states. These programs have an extended learning period, which is followed by an intermediate stage that restricts nighttime driving and teenage passengers until teens get full driving privileges. However, the fact that motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of teenage deaths – 33% of all fatalities – hasn’t “driven” North Dakota to having a GDL program.

 

IS THERE AN AVERAGE COUPLE?

The longer you’re married, the less you know your spouse. A study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology included 38 couples aged 19-32 and 20 couples aged 62-78. The couples rated their own and their partner’s preferences for recipes, movies and kitchen design. On average 47% of the younger couples’ predictions were right versus 40% of the older couples’. It seems older couples pay less attention to each other because they view their relationships as committed. Also, older couples assume they are more alike than they are. Nevertheless, older couples were more satisfied with their relationships. That comes with “age” in marriage.

However, any wife who thinks her husband takes longer to ask directions than she does is probably right. According to a study by a British car insurance company, the average man drives an extra 276 miles a year because of being lost versus 256 miles for women. Twenty-six percent of men will wait at least 30 minutes before asking directions and 12% won’t ask strangers at all. For women it’s almost the opposite. Seventy-four percent of women have no problem asking directions and 37% pull over as soon as they realize they’re lost. Of course, “realization time” could vary.

Men may have trouble asking directions, but they get in trouble if they flirt while driving. In a survey of 3,000 drivers by another British car insurance company, 41% of drivers admitted flirting while driving and 15% admitted crashing or having a near miss because of looking at an attractive passerby. When broken down by sex, 33% of women said they flirted with other motorists versus 50% of men. However, 6% of men said they bought a particular car because it attracted women. When it comes to actual flirting, men usually honk and women usually smile – but maybe women smile because they know 63% of men are more courteous to attractive drivers.

Trouble asking directions and flirting may be 2 reasons why dogs are men’s best friends. The National Pet Owner Survey estimates 62% of U.S. households have a pet and 45% of them are dogs. In 2010 pet owners are expected to spend $47.7 billion on Fido and Fluffy – that’s $2.2 million more than in 2009. The importance of dogs in family life has motivated developers to include walking trails, dog parks and dog-friendly lakes in new developments. It seems dog owners put the “dog” in do-gooder.

 

WHERE ARE WE IN THE WORLD?

The federal government is requiring communities nationwide to change street name signs from all capital letters to capital and lower case letters to make signs easier to read. This is to be done as signs need replacement. However, reflective traffic signs need to meet minimum government standards by 2015 to make them easier to see at night. The community of Iron Mountain, Michigan – population 8,154 - will spend $30-$60 a piece to replace its several hundred signs. Milwaukee, Wisconsin will spend about $1.4 million on new signs. Unfortunately, the government hasn’t “signed on” to help pay for these signs.

The most expensive community for renting a home is San Jose, California. According to the 2010 Census, that Silicon Valley community’s median rent is $1,340. Thousand Oaks, California, a bedroom community of LA, was second – median rent $1,301. Third was Honolulu – median rent $1,237. However, when rent was based on percentage of income, Miami is the least affordable with renters spending 24% of their income on rent. Los Angeles and San Diego tied for second with 23%. All these communities have creative/cultural centers, relatively strong job prospects and/or high population growth with restricted housing supply – that have often “rent” budgets.

The most prosperous country in 2010 is Norway. That’s according to the annual Prosperity Index compiled by the London analytical center, Legatum. The Prosperity Index evaluates 110 countries according to how economic fundamentals, health, freedom, governance, safety, education, entrepreneurial opportunity and social capital influence a country’s economic growth and the happiness of its citizens. Norway is #1 for the second year straight, followed by Denmark, Finland, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Canada, Switzerland, Netherlands and the United States. In 2009 the U.S. was #9 – and since then many Americans think the “us” has been taken out of prosperous.

Economists think height equals health. It’s true for babies and economists say it’s true for countries too. Americans used to be the world’s tallest people, but in the 1960’s Americans’ height reached a plateau. The average American man is five feet 9 inches. In 2010 the Dutch are the tallest. The average Dutch man is 6 feet. In addition to having good nutrition and health care during pregnancy and early childhood, the Dutch are guaranteed prenatal care – whereas 17% of Americans don’t have health insurance. Because height reflects good health and nutrition, economists think tall people reflect economic well-being – unless that’s a “tall story”.

 

WHAT KEEPS OLDER FROM GETTING OLD?

Older people have an increased risk of diabetes because the body’s ability to make insulin decreases with age. Race, family history, obesity and inactivity also increase risk. In 2010 10% of Americans have diabetes, but 25% of them don’t know. If the present trend continues, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts 33% of Americans will have diabetes by 2050. However, a clinical trial showed high-risk people who went through the CDC’s prevention program reduced their risk 58%. Diabetes is the 7^th leading cause of death in the U.S. – but it doesn’t have to be a “lost cause”.

In fact, the Mediterranean Diet may reduce diabetes risk. A study published in the journal Diabetes Care randomly put 418 adults ages 55-80 on 1 of 3 diets: a Mediterranean diet emphasizing olive oil as the source of unsaturated fat, a Mediterranean diet emphasizing nuts as the source of unsaturated fat and a low-fat diet. After 4 years and adjusting for variables such as weight, smoking and exercise, the Mediterranean diets were linked to a 52% decrease in diabetes risk. Although participants didn’t have to limit calories or increase exercise, both are recommended. The Mediterranean Diet works – but it doesn’t work miracles.

Walking doesn’t work miracles, but it helps the brain. A study published in the journal Neurology tracked the physical activity of older adults for 9 years. The study found that those who walked at least 6 miles a week protected their brain. Brains naturally shrink with age, but the gray matter – the part of the brain that holds the nerve cell bodies responsible for such things as memory, speech and emotion – shrank at a slower rate among the walkers. Brain shrinkage can lead to absentmindedness and dementia later in life. However, 6 miles a week is a “walkway” to improved memory.

However, heavy smoking in midlife increases the risk of Alzheimer’s. From 1994 to 2008 a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine evaluated records of 21,123 men and women in midlife and followed them for an average of 23 years. Compared to non-smokers, those who had smoked 2 packs a day increased their Alzheimer’s risk 157%. They increased their vascular dementia risk 172%. Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s. According to the researchers, smokers have increased inflammation and inflammation plays a role in dementia – further evidence that smokers aren’t “role models”.

 

WHAT CAN OUR BODIES TELL US?

Our bodies tell us our reaction to technology starts in the womb. The more exposure a fetus has to pre-natal testosterone, the more anxiety-sensitive that person will be. Also, that person’s ring finger will be shorter than their index finger. Researchers at Bath University did ring/index finger comparisons with 150 computer science students. In every case there was a clear link between the students’ grades and the relative lengths of their fingers. The opposite was true with 119 non-computer science students. Those with shorter ring fingers had greater anxiety about using technology. Who knew techies and technophobes could be “fingered”.

Our bodies tell us clenching our muscles can increase willpower. A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research had volunteers do things like put their hands in a bucket of ice water, drink a foul-tasting vinegar liquid and resist tempting foods. The volunteers who were told to tighten muscles – finger, hand, bicep or calf muscles – while trying to exert willpower were better at meeting the challenges. Unfortunately, the muscle clenching helped only when the volunteers wanted to meet the challenge and only at the moment they faced the challenge. It seems we can’t “muscle” anymore willpower from the study.

Our bodies tell us new love relieves pain. It increases the level of dopamine, the brain’s feel-good chemical. In a study published in the journal PLoS One, 15 self-described, love-struck students looked at a picture of their new love, looked at a picture of an attractive acquaintance and participated in a distracting task. After being touched with a hot wand, brain scans showed looking at a new love produced the same pain relief as being distracted. Unfortunately, a long-time commitment (unless you try something new) doesn’t have the same effect on the brain as new love – that’s the “painful” truth.

Finally, our bodies tell us other peoples’ opinions affect us physically. In a study published in the journal Psychological Science, student volunteers were told students at another university were going to decide if they liked them based on their pictures. Using an electrocardiogram, the researchers measured the volunteers’ heart rates as they were told what the other students’ opinions supposedly were. The heart rates slowed while the volunteers waited to hear. If they were rejected, their heart rates slowed more. If the volunteers expected to be liked, their heart rates slowed even more. According to this, others’ opinions are “heartfelt”. 

 

IS IT TIME TO PUT MORE LIFE IN LIFESTYLE?

One thing we can do to put more life in lifestyle is watch others exercise. Researchers at the Cornell Food and Brand Lab divided 125 volunteers into 2 groups. Before a buffet lunch one group watched TV ads for running shoes and fitness centers. The other group watched ads for car insurance and washing machines. Those who watched exercise-related ads ate 22% fewer calories, thought the lunch was healthier and reported feeling in better shape. The difference between the 2 groups was attributed to the exercise ads making people feel more health- and body-conscious. If so, watching exercise ads should be “ad-vocated”.

Another thing we could do is sit less. In a study done at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, mice prevented from standing stopped producing a fat-burning enzyme, causing weight gain. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people sitting more than 6 hours are 18% likelier to die from diabetes, heart disease and obesity than those sitting less than 3 hours. Because technology has encouraged too much sitting, an employment placement company in Minneapolis has installed treadmill desks, allowing employees to walk about 1 mile per hour while working. Every employee has lost weight – rectifying an unhealthy “sit-uation”.

We could also avoid driving abroad. Motor crashes – not terrorism, crime, infectious disease or plane travel - are the #1 killer of healthy Americans abroad. According to the World Health Organization, more than 90% of these crashes occur in low- to middle-income countries. In many of these countries law enforcement and driver’s training are weak. Speed limits and stop signs aren’t obeyed. Infrastructure can’t keep up with increasing numbers of vehicles. Vehicles don’t have seatbelts. The chance of being killed or seriously injured in a crash is 20-40 times greater than in the U.S. That fact “drives home” the danger.

Finally, we could learn compression-only CPR. In an analysis of 4,145 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests that occurred between 2005 and 2009, patients were 60% likelier to survive when chest compression wasn’t interrupted by mouth-to-mouth breathing. The Arizona study was conducted after a public awareness campaign was begun in 2005. During the study the rate of bystander CPR increased 12% and the cases in which compression-only was used increased 56%. Presently the American Heart Association considers both methods of CPR equal, but new guidelines are expected to establish hands-only as a better method for non-medical bystanders – hands down.

 

WHAT PUTS US IN U.S.?

Sixty-eight percent of U.S. citizens knew the First Amendment to the United States Constitution says “the government shall neither establish a religion nor interfere with the practice of religion”. However, according to the 2010 U.S. Religious Survey, there was confusion regarding the term “separation of church and state”. Only 36% of the people surveyed knew teachers can give classes comparing world religions and only 23% knew teachers can read from the Bible as an example of literature. Although the Constitution was adopted in 1787, it remains well “constituted” today.

Today Hispanics comprise 15% of the U.S. population. They are the largest and fastest growing minority in the U.S. and also have longer life expectancies than both whites and blacks. According to government research based on death certificates from 2006, the life expectancy of Hispanics born in 2006 is 80 years/7 months. For whites it’s 78 years/1 month and for blacks it’s 72 years/11 months. Because Hispanics in Cuba and Puerto Rico live 2 years less and those in Mexico live 4 years less, U.S. Hispanics’ longevity must be due to “the American way”.

Energy efficiency is the way of the future and many U.S. states made significant progress in this area in 2010 in spite of Congress not passing a major energy bill. The American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy ranked states on utility and public benefits programs, transportation policies, building energy codes, combined heat and power, state government initiatives and appliance efficiency standards. California was on top (for the 4^th year in a row), followed by Massachusetts (which was second last year too), Oregon, New York and Vermont. On the bottom were Nebraska, Wyoming, Alabama, Mississippi and North Dakota. Not having every state adopt Energy Efficient Resource Standards (EERS) is obviously a “misstate”

Unfortunately, it isn’t a mistake that in 2010 U.S. retailers lost $40 million dollars in stolen goods. That’s  $422.68 per average American family in passed on costs. According to the Center for Retail Research, organized retail crime was the biggest problem for U.S. merchants – 47.8% - followed by employee theft and shoplifting. Thieves focused on expensive brand-name items, like perfume and cosmetics. Other popular targets were coffee, fresh meat, clothing, auto parts, pharmaceuticals and anything with the “Apple” logo. The good news is losses were 6.8% lower than 2009’s. This decrease correlated with an increase in retailer spending on security. You could say it was the “buyproduct”.

 

WHAT'S BAD FOR CHILDREN NOW?

Junk food is bad for children. Researchers from the National Cancer Institute analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They found nearly 40% of calories consumed by children ages 2 to 18 were empty calories. Half of those empty calories came from 6 foods: sodas; sugary fruit drinks; grain desserts like cake, cookies and donuts; dairy desserts like ice cream; pizza; and whole milk. Promoting healthier eating habits for children is complicated by lack of physical activity, parental and peer influences and food industry marketing. New math is taught in schools. “Newtrition” should be taught there too.

Children who eat healthy and exercise are likelier to drink fruit or sports drinks than sodas – but that’s bad for them also. According to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, many of those drinks have as many calories as soda. National guidelines recommend limiting all sugary drinks to 8 ounces daily; but nearly one-third of the 10,000 Texas adolescents in this study had drunk 3 or more that day – and about 20% of those children were obese. An 8-ounce sports drink is enough to replenish the body after 1 hour of exercise – 16- to 32-ounce bottles are “sugarcoated”.

Screen time – television or computer - is bad for children too. It can increase risk of psychological problems. Another study published in Pediatrics documented the time 1,000 children – ages 10 to 11 – spent on sedentary and active recreation. The children also completed questionnaires assessing their psychological well-being. Children who spent more than 2 hours daily on screen time had higher psychological difficulty scores – regardless of physical activity. In fact, those with more physical activity didn’t score as well on behavior. However, children who spent more time on sedentary activities like homework and hobbies had better psychological scores overall. It seems “screenplay’ isn’t healthy play.

Finally some good news – working mothers aren’t bad for their children. In a study published in the Psychological Bulletin, researchers analyzed 69 studies done between 1960 – when research on this subject started – and 2010. They concluded that children whose mothers went back to work before the children were 3 years old had no worse academic or behavioral problems than children whose mothers stayed home. In fact, these young children of working mothers were later rated as higher-achieving by their teachers; and they had fewer problems with depression and anxiety. Once and for all – working mothers "work out".