KNIGHT WATCH

WHAT'S A PARENT TO DO?

 Not buying a pet frog is a way for parents to reduce their children’s risk of salmonella. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2011 at least 241 people were infected with salmonella by African dwarf frogs and more than 66% of them were under age 10. However, it’s not just frogs that are the problem. All amphibians and reptiles are possible carriers of the disease. The water from the pet’s tank can be contaminated too and tanks should be cleaned outside to prevent contamination of inside surfaces. Also, kissing frogs to turn them into princes is definitely out.

Not smoking is a way for parents to reduce their children’s risk of hearing loss. In a study published in Archives of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, researchers analyzed data from more than 1,500 nonsmoking adolescents ages 12-19. After being evaluated at home, participants were given hearing tests and their blood was tested for serum continine – a marker for tobacco exposure over the previous couple of days. Exposure to tobacco smoke was linked to doubling the risk of hearing loss. Considering more than 50% of U.S. children are exposed to secondhand smoke, parents can’t “turn a deaf ear” to this problem.

Facebook is a way for parents to keep an eye on their children. A One-Poll survey of 2,000 British parents found 55% of respondents used social media to track their children’s activities. Another 5% said they would if they knew how. Eleven percent had created a social media profile to track their children and 13% had logged onto friend’s accounts for the same purpose. Although 15% of the parents had tried to “friend” their children, 4% were rejected. Nevertheless, for parents who want to know what their children are doing, Facebook provides a way to “read between the lines”.

Grandparents provide another source of information because they make good chauffeurs. In a study published in the journal Pediatrics, investigators looked at crash data from 2003 to 2007 to compare injuries among children in crashes with grandparents versus crashes with parents. Among 11,859 children under age 15, children were driven by grandparents 9.5% of the time, but sustained only 6.6% of the injuries. Nearly all the children used car seats or seatbelts; and in spite of grandparents not always restraining children correctly, grandparent-driven crashes had half the injury risk of parent-driven crashes. This might make grandparents even grander.

 

WHAT DO OUR BODIES NEED?

 Eyes need protection from the sun. Long-term exposure to ultraviolet rays contributes to cataracts – a clouding of the eye’s lens, as well as macular degeneration – damage to the retina which destroys central vision, and pteryglum – tissue growth over the eye’s white surface that changes the curve of the eyeball causing astigmatism. Even a few hours of intense, unprotected exposure can cause photokeratitis – a temporary but painful cornea burn resulting in blurred vision or temporary blindness. Considering a 2009 American Optometric Association survey found 33% of adults were unaware of possible UV light damage to their eyes, they could be “blindsided”.

Brains need sleep to avoid our being mad at the world. Irritability, moodiness and complaining are well-researched side effects of sleepiness. However, a study presented at SLEEP 2011, the 20^th anniversary meeting of the Association of Professional Sleep Societies, found sleepy people think differently. They are more likely to think about how events could have turned out differently and how situations could have been better. This often results in their blaming others and even seeking revenge. Researchers refer to sleepy thinking as “counterfactual”. That word in itself is an “eye-opener”.

Brains also need sleep to avoid our making bad food choices. In another study presented at the 2011 meeting of the Association of Professional Sleep Societies, 12 healthy adults were shown photographs of low- or high-calorie foods during a 4-minute period when their brains were scanned. The participants also completed questionnaires about how drowsy they were during the day, their food preferences and their typical eating habits. The sleepier they were, the less the prefrontal cortex – the brain’s inhibition center – was activated when participants were shown photos of high-calorie foods. The participants weren’t chronically sleep-deprived - just tired from staying up an extra hour or two – which is “two” bad.

Finally, our bodies need exercise – but exercise isn’t always possible. In a study to mimic the inactivity astronauts experience because of weightlessness in space, rats were hung by their rear legs. Half the rats received a daily dose of resveratrol – an ingredient in red wine. Those rats didn’t experience reduced muscle mass and strength, reduced bone density or develop insulin resistance – a prelude to diabetes. Resveratrol lets cells “breath internally”, counteracting the negative effects of inactivity. Unfortunately, it would take more than 1-2 glasses of red wine to achieve the same results. Nevertheless, drinking red wine is a “moving experience”.

 

ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?

 Teaching hospitals are more dangerous in July. TRUE. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reviewed 39 studies from 1989 to 2010 that looked at hospital turnover and its effect on patient care. Researchers found that in July patients were likelier to die or receive poorer care. The “July Effect” occurs when experienced residents leave and the new trainees have little clinical experience, may be inadequately supervised and don’t yet have a working knowledge of the hospital system. If possible, postponing hospital treatment until August might be a “hot” idea.

Food is addictive. TRUE. A study done at Toronto’s York University had 72 obese people, ages 25-45, complete a questionnaire about food that was designed to identify drug or alcohol addiction. It focused on 7 symptoms of addiction – such as unsuccessfully trying to quit and stopping social activities. Eighteen participants fit the criteria for addiction. About 66% of the participants were women, as were 66% of the food addicts. The food addicts were also likelier to have other psychological issues – binge-eating, depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The definition of food – substances consumed to maintain life and growth – doesn’t “fit” everyone.

Beer is less intoxicating than liquor. FALSE. Standard drinks – 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine and a drink containing one shot of 80-proof liquor – produce the same level of intoxication. That’s according to Dr. Scott Walters, professor of social and behavioral sciences at the University of North Texas. Also, once alcohol is in the bloodstream nothing can increase the rate the liver processes it – which is about 1 drink per hour. However, alcohol mixed with food takes longer to absorb. Light colored drinks – such as white wine and vodka – produce fewer hangover effects. Considering 63% of Americans drink, this information shouldn’t be “hard to swallow”.

Too much salt is bad. TRUE … HOWEVER, a 14-year study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found too much salt and too little potassium is worse. Researchers asked more than 12,000 U.S. adults what they ate the previous day and calculated their salt and potassium intake. Those eating lots of salt and little potassium were more than twice as likely to die from heart attack. The average woman gets less than half the recommended 4,700 milligrams of potassium daily. Men get slightly more. Spinach, bananas and broccoli are good sources of potassium. “In the long run”, so are prunes.

 

DO GOOD LOOKS GET GOOD LOOKS?

 Twenty-five percent of Americans would rather have a “dream body” for the rest of their lives than win a $1 million lottery. The poll of 1,000 adults sponsored by Nurtisystem also found 50% of those surveyed would rather be their ideal weight than be 5 years younger. When they gained weight, about 50% said they had less energy and 25% said they had more stress. About 25% of the women wanted a body like Halle Berry or Jennifer Lopez. Almost 50% of the men wanted Matthew McConaughy’s body. Unfortunately, the same people usually eat too much - including their words.

What qualifies as a sexy look? In a study published in the journal Emotion, more than 1,000 adults were asked to rate the sexual attractiveness of hundreds of images of the opposite sex. The images displayed happiness (broad smile), pride (raised head/puffed-up chest) and shame (lowered head/averted eyes). More women found proud males more attractive. More men found happy females more attractive. According to the researchers, pride implies status, competence and the ability to provide. Smiling has been linked to a lack of dominance. When it comes to looks, it seems men and women are looking for different things.

Men look at women differently than women do. In Norway, the U.S. and the U.K. 100 participants looked at a test Web ad showing a beautiful woman in a bikini. Men looked at the face first – looking 40% longer than the women – then looked at the torso. The women started at the torso – looking longer than the men – then at the face. Both sexes looked at the legs last, with the women looking 20% longer. One explanation for the difference in looking patterns was that the women were comparing their bodies to the image. Obviously, women are more interested in a “body of evidence”.

Men interested in driving flashy cars aren’t the marrying kind. That’s according to research from Rice University, the University of Texas/San Antonio and the University of Minnesota. By analyzing more than 1,000 men researchers found that men use flashy cars to attract women. However, although women were more attracted to men driving a Porsche as a date than one driving a Honda Civic, they didn’t find these men more desirable as marriage partners. In fact, women inferred from men’s flashy spending that they were only interested in uncommitted sex. It seems in this respect flashy cars “backfire”.

 

ARE MEN STILL FROM MARS?

 A 2008 survey by the Families and Work Institute found 60% of men in dual-income families reported work-family conflicts compared to 47% of women. For the men that was a 60% increase from 1977. The increase was attributed to longer work hours, blurred work-home boundaries and more childcare involvement. Men who worked 50+ hours weekly and men whose wives also worked outside the home were at the highest risk for work-family conflict – the same conflict “super women” have experienced for decades. Maybe it’s time for dads to put on their capes and “be faster than a speeding bullet”.

Men feel conflicted, but stay-at-home moms feel as overwhelmed as work-outside-the-home moms. A 2011 survey of 1,200 mothers by Forbes Woman found 89% of stay-at-homers and 92% of work-outsiders felt overwhelmed by work, home and parenting. Eighty-four percent of stay-at-homers didn’t get a break when their partner returned from work and 50% said they never got a break from parenting. However, 96% said their partners took breaks. Sixty-eight percent of stay-at-homers and 70% of work-outsiders resented unbalanced responsibilities and 33% of all the moms thought their partner should do more at home. Maybe it’s not accidental that mom upside-down spells “wow”.

Wow – although heart attacks are the leading killer of men and women, women tend to have different symptoms. Although women experience chest pain, they are likelier to experience shortness of breath, nausea and pain in the back or jaw. Women are also likelier to have “coronary microvascular disease” – small blood vessels that feed the heart squeeze shut when damaged. Women are likelier to die in a year after their first attack. Only 33% of cardiovascular treatment studies include both genders even though federal policy says they all should. This is another type of “heart failure”.

Although heart attack kills both men and women, cancer kills more men. A National Cancer Institute study analyzed data on 36 types of cancer from 1977 to 2006. Leukemia and cancers of the colon, rectum, pancreas and liver killed 1.5 to 2 times as many men. Bladder cancer killed 3 times as many, esophageal cancer 4 times and lip and throat cancer 5 times. It’s thought that men’s lifestyle – more smoking, drinking and work-related carcinogens, as well as fewer doctor appointments – might explain these differences. Considering men have a 17% greater cancer risk than women, perhaps they should get more in touch with their feminine side.

 

IS TRIVIA ABOUT US TRIVIAL?

 New York is no longer one of the world’s most expensive cities. In fact, the Worldwide Cost of Living 2011 survey ranked it 49^th. Chicago and Los Angeles were more expensive. Atlanta, the cheapest U.S. city, was ranked even with Kiev. Tokyo is the most expensive city. However, Europe accounted for half the top 50 cities with Paris/4^th, Zurich/5^th, Frankfurt/8^th and Geneva/9^th. Australia had 4 cities in the top 15 – Sydney/6^th, Melbourne/7^th, Perth/13^th and Brisbane/14^th. Asian cities, as a whole, were less expensive – Hong Kong/22^nd, Shanghai/48^th and Bejing/64^th. Although Karachi, Pakistan was the world’s cheapest city, I’d postpone vacationing there.

The U.S. is getting more diverse. According to the 2010 census, the majority of children in California and New Mexico identified as Hispanic. In 8 other states – Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Maryland and Hawaii – white children were in the minority compared with children from other racial and ethnic groups combined. Nationally the number of white children decreased and the number of Hispanic and Asian children increased. In 1910 nearly 15% of people in the U.S. came from other countries. By 1970 it was below 5%. In 2010 it was above 12%. The melting pot is hot again.

Fifty-four percent of U.S. women feel stressed. That was the finding of a 2011 Neilson Company study that examined 6,500 women in 21 countries. India had the most stressed women - 87% followed by Mexico/74%, Russia/69%, Brazil/67% and Spain/66%. Malaysia and Sweden had the fewest – 44%. Women in emerging countries spent more disposable money on themselves, on health and beauty products, as well as clothes. Women in developed countries spent more on vacations, savings and repaying debt. However, 75% of women around the world thought the best type of advertising was word-of-mouth – which isn’t “cheap talk”.

Fame was the most emphasized value in U.S. television shows popular with tweens in 2007. Following fame were achievement, popularity, image and financial success. That was according to a UCLA study. Similar studies have been done every 10 years since 1967. In 1967, 1977 and 1997 community feeling was the most emphasized value. In 2007 community feeling was 11^th. Fame was ranked 15^th among the 16 values in 1987 and 1997. In 1997 the top 5 values were community feeling, benevolence (being kind and helping others), image, tradition and self-acceptance. If television reflects American culture, maybe we should reflect back on 1997.

 

HAVE ANY PET-ICULARLY GOOD IDEAS?

 “Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled” is a non-profit organization that trains capuchin monkeys to be service animals to people with limited mobility – spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis – allowing them to live independently. Among the many things the monkeys are trained to do are flip switches, scratch itches, turn pages and retrieve things pointed to by a laser. The monkeys are raised in foster homes, then trained for 3-5 years. However, they are trained only to assist inside the home. Capuchin monkeys were chosen because they’re very social animals and natural tool users – especially “monkey wrenches”.

“National Mill Dog Rescue” is a non-profit that has saved and adopted-out approximately 5,000 dogs that have churned out litter after litter. These dogs – ages 3-7 - have received minimal food, care and people contact. The 11,000-square-foot facility has 150-200 dogs in rehab at any time. Pugs, papillons, Shih Tzus, Yorkies, American Eskimo dogs, cocker spaniels – every popular, pet store breed is represented. Most are there after breeders targeted them to be shot or drowned or – in rare cases – euthanized by a vet to make room for more productive dogs. What these breeders also breed is contempt.

Pets are not a new idea, but a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found new reasons why they are a good idea. Psychologists conducted 3 experiments to examine the potential benefits of pet ownership in terms of well-being and individual differences. They found pet owners had greater self-esteem, were more physically fit, tended to be less lonely, were more conscientious, were more extroverted, tended to be less fearful and tended to be less preoccupied. Nevertheless, the study didn’t find pet owners were more pettish, petty or petulant.

However, if you are not one of the 62% of U.S. households with a pet, maybe you should consider gardening. A Netherlands study had participants do something stressful. Then half of the participants either read inside or gardened for 30 minutes. The gardeners reported better moods and had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. In a Norwegian study people diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder spent 6 hours weekly gardening. After 3 months 50% showed measurable improvement. A study following people in their 60’s and 70’s for up to 16 years found gardeners had 47% lower dementia risk. Maybe we all should let the idea of gardening “grow on us”.

 

ARE THEY GETTING OLDER AND BETTER?

Older people – 65 and older – scored highest in a Gallup-Healthways Wellbeing Index. The index was based on approximately 1 million surveys from 2008 to 2011. Smiling, laughing, having access to learn new things, eating well, getting plenty of exercise – the older group outscored all others in healthy behaviors. They also had better emotional lives – less sadness and depression. Middle-aged people – ages 45-64 - scored lowest in well-being because of higher obesity rates, higher levels of chronic disease and more smoking. In 2050 20% of Americans will be 65 or older and in many ways more “well-behaved”.

Older people need more exercise. In a study done at the University of Alabama/Birmingham, 70 adults ages 20-75 exercised 3 times weekly – 3 sets of knee extensions, leg presses and squats – for 16 weeks. All gained muscle. Then for 32 weeks one group didn’t exercise, another group exercised one day weekly and the last group did one set of exercises weekly. Although the younger participants who continued to exercise had little reduction in muscle mass, the older group lost muscle mass when they reduced their exercise. Because better muscle mass improves aerobic ability, fatty acid metabolism and bone and joint health, resistance training shouldn’t be resisted.

Moderate-to-intense exercise may lower the risk of dementia and stroke in older people. In a study published in the journal Neurology 1,238 participants completed questionnaires about how often and intensely they exercised. Forty-three percent reported no regular exercise; 36% had regular, light exercise – bowling, golf, walking; and 21% had regular, moderate-to-intense exercise – hiking, swimming, tennis. Six years later – with the average age 70 – they had brain scans. The moderate-to-intense exercisers showed a 40% lower dementia and stroke risk. The recommendation is 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly or 75 minutes of intense exercise. Considering the benefits, each minute is mi-nute.

An 89-year-old woman from Pennsylvania exemplified how older people compensate for no longer being as quick on their feet. She was quick-witted. When she and her 82-year-old friend were accosted outside a pizza shop, a 27-year-old man grabbed her friend’s purse. However, before he and his 21-year-old, female accomplice could make their getaway, the 89-year-old whacked their car’s trunk several times with her cane. Later New Castle police matched the dents in the suspects’ car with the woman’s cane and the 2 purse-snatchers were arrested. The moral of this story is that older people still enjoy “raising cane”.

 

CAN PARENTS EVER BE CALLED KNOW-IT-ALLS?

Too much sun is especially dangerous for babies. According to a review published in Pediatrics, sun exposure infancy through adolescence is associated with earlier melanoma diagnosis than in adults. Young skin has lower levels of skin-protecting melanin and a thinner outer layer, allowing UV rays to more easily reach melanin-producing cells. Damage to those cells is a “precursor to melanoma”. One review study projected 1 in 33 babies born in 2011 will develop melanoma versus 1 in 1,500 babies born in 1935. That the American Academy of Pediatrics advises children under 6 months get no sun isn’t “sundry” information.

Preschool has long-term benefits. In a study published in the journal Science, researchers tracked 1,400 Chicago public school students for 25 years. They compared 1,000 children who started preschool at age 3 with 400 who didn’t attend preschool. Those who went to preschool were 9% likelier to finish high school – with the males being 22% likelier. The preschoolers also had a 28% lower incarceration rate, were 28% less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol later in life and had a 20% increase in socioeconomic status. It seems the importance of preschool is something parents need schooling about.

Too much media causes childhood obesity. A 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement published in the journal Pediatrics said children shouldn’t spend more than 2 hours a day in front of a computer, television or video game and children age 2 and under shouldn’t watch any television. Besides encouraging inactivity, media ads for junk food increase children’s desire to eat that type of food, as well as increase children’s snacking while watching television. Considering children see 5,000-10,000 food ads a year and most are for junk food and fast food, it’s not surprising it “ads” to childhood obesity.

However, maybe the most important thing parents should know is how much children cost. The Department of Agriculture’s 2010 report compared the cost of raising children to 1960. In 50 years children got 22% more expensive. In 1960 the average cost of raising a child to age 17 was $25,229 – or $185,856 in 2010 dollars. In 2010 it was $226,920. The biggest cost increases were health care and child care/education. The cost of food, clothing and miscellaneous – in real terms – decreased since 1960. Housing remained the biggest cost of raising children, but if children lived on the roof that cost would be “on the house”.

 

ARE WE INFATUATED WITH FATS?

Americans are fatter.  In 1995 no state had an obesity rate over 20%. In 2010 Colorado was the only state that didn’t. However, Colorado – like all the other states – hadn’t had a decline in its obesity rate. In 2006 only one state had an obesity rate over 30%. In 2010 12 states did. In fact, over the past 15 years 7 states doubled their obesity rate. For the 7th year in a row Mississippi was the fattest state followed by Alabama, West Virginia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Arkansas and Michigan. It seems that the South has risen again!

One reason Americans are fatter is we’re eating more. The average American adult ate about 2,375 calories daily in the mid-2000’s – nearly 33% more than in the late 1970’s. We’ve gone from 3.8 snacks and meals daily to 4.9 – a 29% increase. A study published in PLoS Medicine analyzed data from 4 nationally representative food surveys taken between 1977 and 2006 and found that the time between snacks and meals had shrunk and calories consumed from snacks had skyrocketed. Because snacking – not portion size – is supposedly what’s responsible for Americans overeating, we need to get “over eating” so much.

Diet sodas are another reason why Americans are getting fatter. A study done by the University of Texas/San Antonio analyzed data from 474 older adults. At the beginning of the 9-½ year study and at 3 follow-up exams, participants reported diet soda intake and had their height, weight and waists measured. Although all the participants’ waistlines increased, diet-soda drinkers had 70% greater increases than non-diet-soda drinkers. Those who drank 2 or more diet sodas daily had 500% greater increases. Because the brain expects sweet foods to be calorie-loaded, it seems to trigger the body to store calories as fat. The brain becomes “trigger-happy”.

Fatty foods trigger the body to produce chemicals like those in marijuana that cause “the munchies”. In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, rats were fed a health shake, sugar solution, protein-rich liquid or high-fat drink. Only the high-fat drink triggered the release of endocannabinoids. This process, in turn, caused more signals – all saying to eat more of whatever fatty food was being eaten. In the evolution of animals, fats necessary for survival were scarce in the mammal diet. Today a human diet that doesn’t have too many fats is scarce.