KNIGHT WATCH

WHERE IN THE WORLD DID THAT IDEA COME FROM?

United Against Waste is a campaign to help the U.S. food-service industry cut waste. It’s sponsored by Unilever, an Anglo-Dutch conglomerate supplying thousands of food-service companies in 74 countries. According to the 2009 U.N. Environment Program, more than half the food produced is lost, wasted or discarded. Much of the waste happens at farms, but a U.S. restaurant can produce 25,000 to 75,000 pounds of waste yearly. In a 2011 survey 80% of U.S. diners were concerned about restaurant waste and 50% of them were willing to pay more for meals at restaurants known for limiting waste - and maybe limiting “waists”.

The Global Soap Project, a non-profit based in Atlanta, collects partially used hotel soap to give to needy countries. A process of sanitizing, melting and remolding has resulted in soap being sent to 20 countries on 4 continents since 2009. UNICEF estimates washing hands with soap can reduce incidences of diarrhea among children under 5 by 50% and respiratory infections by 25%. Considering it’s also estimated U.S. hotels throw away 1 million bars of partially used soap daily, it seems appropriate Hilton Worldwide – with 3,750 properties – has partnered with the Global Soap Project – “one hand washing the other”.

Qmilch is the award-winning textile designed by a 28-year-old German. Q stands for quality and milch is the German word for milk – which is what this textile is made of. Anka Domaske developed a way to take casein from sour, organic milk; heat it; mix it with things like beeswax; and spin it into threads. Supposedly milk byproducts have been used to make textiles since the 1930’s, but this process eliminates chemicals. Qmilch is environmentally friendly and has a silky texture especially good for people with skin allergies. However, at $28 per kilogram it’s not made of the “milk of human kindness”.

Japan was the first to invent a vending machine that recognizes its customers. In 2010 the East Japan Railway Company put this vending machine on a Tokyo train station platform. It has a 47-inch touch screen panel and is equipped with a face-recognition sensor that gauges information about the customer’s gender and age and another sensor that measures outside temperature. With this information – depending on time of day and season – the vending machine recommends a particular beverage to the customer. Of course, if the machine told the customer the age it sensed, it might have to be “sensored”.

 

IS THIS CONSIDERED TRIVIAL PURSUIT?

Have you ever forgotten why you went into another room? It’s the doorway’s fault. When you go from room to room, your brain identifies each room as a new event and sets a new memory trace to capture that event. Thus it’s difficult for the brain to retrieve older memories because they’ve already been filed away. The author of the study, a psychology professor at Notre Dame, suggests carrying a reminder of your intent. If you’re going to get scissors, put your middle and index fingers in a scissors position. These reminders are like giving our brain “forget-me-nots”.

Is there still 6 degrees of separation between us? In 1967 a social psychologist had 296 volunteers send a message by postcard through friends and friends of friends to a specific person in Boston. It took, on average, 6 steps to reach him. In the early 90’s Kevin Bacon said he’d worked with just about everyone in Hollywood, which inspired the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” trivia game. Now that’s changed. According to Facebook and researchers at Milan University, the average degree of separation between 2 unacquainted Facebook users is 4.74 steps. That’s 4.74 steps for man and one giant leap for mankind.

If you’re a redhead, are you afraid to go to the dentist? In a study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association, 67 redheads and 77 “darkheads” answered survey questions about fears and anxieties related to dental visits. Their blood was also tested. Those with the MC1R gene were more than twice as likely to avoid dental appointments. Of the 85 people with the gene, 65 were redheads. It seems those with MC1R tend to be resistant to certain pain medications. Of course, the only pain for artificial redheads is the pain of keeping their roots red.

Do you still long for chocolate milk in spite of all its sugary calories – the calories that caused it to be banned from school cafeterias? Athletes are using chocolate milk as a recovery drink. It boosts endurance after intense workouts and speeds up muscle recovery. Researchers at Penn State are studying how cocoa interacts with a specific digestive enzyme to block it from breaking down fat, thus helping the body to fend off fat. Finally, chocolate skim can be made without high fructose corn syrup and have only 30 calories more than 1% milk. That’s the “milk of human kindness”.

 

HOW ARE YOU FEELING - EMOTIONALLY?

Happy people live longer. A study published in the Proceedings of the Academy of National Sciences asked 3,853 people ages 52-79 to record levels of happiness, anxiety and other emotions at 4 specific times during 1 day. Then the participants were divided into 3 groups depending on happiness levels. Five years later 7% in the unhappiest group had died compared to 4% in the happiest group and 5% in the middle group. When age, depression, disease, health behaviors and socioeconomic factors were controlled, the happiest and medium-happy participants were 35% and 25% less likely to have died. Hmmm, remember the “i” in happiness.

Lonely people sleep more restlessly. A study published in the journal Sleep asked 95 people how often they felt lack of companionship, left out or isolated and rated them on a loneliness scale. Then for 1 week the participants wore a wrist device to bed to record body movement and sleep disruption. Each one-point increase in the loneliness scale was associated with an 8% increase in restlessness and sleep disruption even when age, sex, body mass index, sleep apnea and negative emotion factors were controlled. Although loneliness didn’t influence sleep quality or daytime sleepiness, loneliness puts the bed in “bed-evil”.

People with high blood pressure have more difficulty recognizing emotions – happiness, sadness, fear, anger, etc. It’s a phenomenon called “emotional dampening”. In a study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, 106 participants – average age 53 – were asked to evaluate emotional expressions in faces and sentences. After controlling for medications, BMI and mental state, those with high blood pressure scored lowest in the ability to recognize emotions. Scientists suspect emotional dampening is related to subtle changes in brain function. However, medication to lower blood pressure can correct the problem in time. The emotional dampening can be “dried up”.

People who are physically weighed down by heavy loads like shopping bags think more seriously. It seems the brain goes from physical weight to psychological weight. In a study published in the Journal of Consumer Behavior, 100 volunteers were divided into 2 groups. One group carried bags containing about 10 pounds of water bottles. The other carried bags containing empty water bottles. Later both groups were asked questions about the importance of expressing opinions publically, reading nutrition labels and being socially connected. The volunteers carrying the heavy bags thought those subjects were much more important. Obviously, they were “heavy thinkers”.

 

DO WE EACH HAVE A BODY OF EVIDENCE?

There really is such a thing as “broken heart syndrome”. It occurs when sudden or prolonged stress – good or bad – triggers a rush of adrenalin and other stress hormones, causing the heart’s main pumping chamber to suddenly balloon. There are also dramatic changes in heart rhythm and blood substances typical of heart attacks. Fortunately, most victims recover within weeks; but women are 7 to 9 times likelier to experience broken heart syndrome than men. Perhaps this is because of hormones or because men have more adrenalin receptors on cells in their hearts – or perhaps women just take shocks “more to heart”.

Fifteen percent of people with type 2 diabetes aren’t fat. So says the National Institutes of Health. They have a condition called “TOFI” – thin outside, fat inside. Fat that usually builds up under the skin attaches to abdominal organs instead. Visceral fat is more dangerous because it can cause inflammatory substances to affect the liver and pancreas and lower insulin sensitivity, which increase type 2 diabetes risk. Regular workouts are the only way to lose visceral fat. Even moderate exercise causes muscles to absorb glucose at 20 times the normal rate. Hmmm, TOFI could also stand for “the other fat individuals”.

Earworm is the nickname for what psychologists call “involuntary musical imagery”. It’s the random snippet of a song or melody that pops into our minds and repeats over and over. Studies suggest 90% of people get earworms at least once a week. A study published in the journal Psychology of Music collected data from 604 people and was able to identify 4 main triggers for earworms: music exposure (the most common), memory triggers, emotional state of mind and low attention states. Unfortunately, a way to get rid of earworms wasn’t identified. Maybe scientists need a “worm’s-eye view” of the phenomenon.

Right-handers and left-handers tend to like more popular, familiar types of music, while mixed-handers (those who use their non-dominant hand for at least 2 activities) have broader musical tastes. That was the result of another study published in the journal Psychology of Music. Ninety-two college students completed hand-preference surveys and then rated how often they listened to 21 types of music and their enjoyment of them. The broader range of music enjoyed by mix-handers was attributed to their being more in touch with the right hemisphere of their brain, which updates thoughts and beliefs. Mixed-handers were more “hands-on”.

 

WHO'S WINNING THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES?

Men aren’t as careful as women are on Facebook. Bitdefender, an anti-virus software company, surveyed 1,649 men and women in the U.S. and U.K. According to the findings, 35.8% of women accepted Facebook friend requests compared to 44.6% of men. Men were even likelier to accept if the profile was associated with the picture of an attractive woman. Twenty-five percent of men let their profiles be searched by strangers compared to 16% of women. Twenty-six percent of men were willing to share their location compared to 21.8% of women. It seems men online have more difficulty “drawing the line”.

Women have to be more careful than men about sugary drinks, such as soda and flavored water. That is because women need fewer calories to develop negative impacts. Research presented to the American Heart Association followed more than 4,000 men and women ages 45-84 for 5 years. During that time participants’ sugar-sweetened beverage intake, weight, waist circumference, cholesterol and diabetes markers were monitored. Women who drank 2 or more sugary drinks daily were 4 times more likely to develop high cholesterol and diabetes compared to women who drank 1 or less. Obviously, information about sugary drinks isn’t always “sweet talk”.

Women can get information about men from seeing how well men dance. In a study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, 48 men ages 18-42 filled out personality questionnaires before being asked to dance to a drumbeat. The dance moves were then transferred onto featureless, computerized avatars so the 53 women ages 17-57 wouldn’t be influenced by the men’s looks. After watching 15-second clips the women judged the men’s dancing on a scale of 1 to 7. According to the scores, men with conscientious/agreeable personalities had better dance moves – giving new meaning to “putting the move on someone”.

Five million men and women have fibromyalgia and 90% of them are women. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by body-wide pain and tenderness in muscles and joints. A study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism looked at the sleep habits of 12,350 healthy women. After 10 years 2.6% developed fibromyalgia. However, women with sleep problems had higher risks – 3 times higher for women ages 20-44 and 5 times higher for women over 45. Because sleep problems are also associated with increased risk of heart disease and other chronic ailments, we need to “wake up to” the importance of sleep.

 

IS FOOD FOR THOUGHT HEALTH FOOD?

Coffee has been linked to a reduced risk of skin cancer – specifically, basal cell carcinoma. It’s the most common type of skin cancer, with nearly 1 million new, U.S. cases diagnosed yearly. A study presented to the American Association for Cancer Research analyzed data from 112,897 people who were followed over 23 years. Women who drank more than 3 cups of caffeinated coffee daily were 20% less likely to develop basal cell carcinoma than women who drank less than 1 cup monthly. Men were 9% less likely. When it comes to drinking coffee, it’s healthy to be “in your cups”.

However, drinking licorice-flavored coffee might not be a good idea for people over age 40. According to the Food and Drug Administration, black licorice contains glycyrrhizin, a chemical that can trigger a dangerous drop in potassium. When potassium is low, heart rhythms fluctuate and blood pressure can rise causing swelling, lethargy and even congestive heart failure. It seems eating 2 ounces daily for 2 weeks could result in hospitalization for heart arrhythmia. For people with high blood pressure, heart disease or kidney disease, as little as .18 ounce daily could cause health problems. Maybe licorice should be “blacklisted”.

Drinking alcohol is on the shouldn’t list for women because it increases the risk of breast cancer. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at the drinking habits of more than 100,000 nurses. For those who had a drink daily the cancer risk increased from 2.8% to 3.5%. However, the risk is associated with longstanding habits – not drinking a lot over a few weeks or months. Also, there was no increased risk when less than 3 drinks were consumed weekly. Considering there’s evidence moderate drinking protects against heart disease, here’s less than 3 cheers weekly to our health!

Good health is more likely with a high-fiber diet. Fiber from whole grains has been linked to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. After analyzing 25 studies including nearly 2 million people, researchers found 90 grams (three and one-quarter ounces) of whole grains daily was associated with a 20% lower risk of colorectal cancer. Whole grains move food more quickly through the colon, reducing the colon’s toxic exposure. Because high-fiber diets have also been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and being overweight, perhaps we should think of whole grains as “whole life insurance”.

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS?

The Healthy Wage is a company that designs weight-loss challenges and contests for individuals and companies - all having a financial incentive. It’s basically a bookmaker for overweight people. Previous studies have shown people greatly improve their odds of losing weight if money is involved – especially if it is their own money. Only 25% of individual bettors reach the weight they had wagered on within the given time, but all the participants supposedly benefit from being on a weight-loss program for 6 months to a year. It seems “Putting your money where your mouth is” can be a successful weight-loss strategy.

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that fines owners of dogs that bark excessively and the ordinance is expected to go into effect by the end of 2011. The fine for the first offense will be $250. It will be $500 for the second offense and $1,000 for the third. Excessive barking is defined as barking that continues for 10 minutes or more or intermittently for 30 minutes or more within a 3-hour time period. Who decides if a dog is barking excessively? The Department of Animal Services has a “hearing”.

Edwards Funeral Service in Columbus, Ohio was supposedly the first funeral home in the U.S. to offer alkaline hydrolysis, a green alternative to cremation. However, in 2011 it’s legal in 7 states. The process involves liquefying human remains with potassium hydroxide and 300-degree heat. The bone residue is then saved for an urn and the liquid remains are released into a water treatment facility – or what opponents refer to as “go down the drain”. Nevertheless, alkaline hydrolysis results in only a fraction of the carbon emissions of a traditional cremation and thus may be the way for those who want to go green “to go”.

Finally, “Movember” is an idea that started in Australia in 2003 and reached the U.S. in 2006. Movember – the combination of mustache and November – is a non-profit organization that encourages men to grow mustaches during the month of November to raise money for men’s health issues. Each registered participant must start clean-shaven. Mustaches can’t touch sideburns because they’d be beards or attach to chins because they’d be goatees. The goal is to have friends donate money, which is given to men’s health research and awareness programs. As of 2011 Americans have donated $7.5 million – giving new meaning to “lip service”.

 

DOES THE AMERICAN WAY GET IN OUR WAY?

Thirty-two percent of Americans admitted to drowsy driving. That’s according to a 2011 poll of 3,147 drivers age 16 and older by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. A 2010 Foundation report showed drowsy drivers were responsible for 17% of fatal accidents and 12.5% of accidents that resulted in serious injury. When the statistics were broken down by sex and age, 75% of drowsy drivers were men and drivers ages 16-24 were 2 times more likely to be involved in a drowsy driving crash than drivers ages 40-59. Yes, it’s definitely time to “wake up and smell the coffee”.

Forty-eight percent of Americans have just 1 close friend. That was the result of a 2010 Internet study that asked more than 2,000 adults to list the people they had discussed “important matters” with over the previous 6 months. Eighteen percent listed 2 close friends, 29% listed more than 2 and 4% didn’t list any. Of that 4%, 64% hadn’t had important matters to discuss and 36% didn’t have anyone to discuss them with. When the numbers were averaged out, Americans had 2.3 close friends – that’s one less than 25 years ago. Obviously, being “up close and personal” isn’t as close.

Fifty-eight percent of Americans were aggravated by having to wait for service people in 2010 – waiting for everyone from cable, phone, Internet or utility people to retail home delivery. That’s according to TOA Technologies, a company that makes computer software to help businesses track their service people. Americans waited an average of 4.3 hours each time – more than twice as long as they had expected. The total time waited by the average American translated into 2 working days a year or $250. According to a TOA spokesperson, the company’s revenue doubled in the past year. Yes, time is money – their money!

Visits by American women to the doctor for foot-related complaints increased 75% between 2005 and 2009. Ninety percent of women’s foot deformities can be linked to bad shoes. In the past few years the average height of high-heeled shoes went from 3 to 5 inches. A 2010 study found women who regularly wore high heels have shorter calf muscles. Another study found heels contribute to joint degeneration and knee osteoarthritis. Heels cause the body to get out of alignment, which can result in spinal discs breaking down. It seems “If the shoe fits, wear it” isn’t always good advice.

 

"WEIGHTING" FOR THE OTHER SHOE TO DROP?

Dieters who regain weight aren’t necessarily slipping back into bad habits. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine put 34 people on a strict, 10-week diet. On average, the participants lost 30 pounds; but in spite of counseling and written advice about maintaining weight loss, they regained an average of 12 pounds over the next year. It seems this reaction is an evolutionary holdover from times when weight loss threatened reproduction and survival. People who lose significant weight burn calories slower. They also feel hungrier. This is due to the imbalance of 6 hormones – also known as “hor-moans”.

People who find it difficult to lose weight may have the “obesity gene”. Research published in PLoS Medicine analyzed data from more than 218,000 adults and found people who have a copy of the “fat mass and obesity associated” gene (the FTO gene) have an increased risk of obesity. However, the risk was 27% lower for those who were physically active. About 1 hour of exercise 5 days a week was enough to counteract the gene – exercise like walking the dog, cycling to work and tending the garden. Of course, without exercise we all have a “fat chance” of losing weight.

People who feel they lack power choose super-sized portions. That was the result of a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research. Researchers asked half of the students to remember a situation in which they felt powerful and the other half were asked to remember one in which they felt powerless. Then both groups were asked to choose a smoothie from 3 sizes. The powerful-situation students were likeliest to choose the smallest size smoothie and the powerless–situation students were likeliest to choose the biggest. It seems that going out to eat can be a “power trip”.

Finally, men are almost as likely as women to binge-eat. They are also likely to have the same problems associated with binge-eating, such as depression and obesity. A study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders examined 46,351 people. Eleven percent of women and 7.5% of men binged. Thirty-seven percent of the male bingers were in treatment for depression or reported symptoms of depression compared to 12% who weren’t bingers. Sixty-four percent of male binge-eaters were obese compared to 33% of non-binge-eaters. In 2011 four million Americans binge-eat. A disorder historically associated with women also “eats away at” men.

 

WHAT SHOULDN'T WE DO FOR OUR HEALTH?

Too much sitting causes cancer. According to a report presented to the American Institute for Cancer Research, being sedentary has been linked to 49,000 cases of breast cancer and 43,000 cases of colon cancer yearly. There’s also evidence that lack of exercise increases the risk of prostrate and endometrial cancers. It seems exercise reduces key factors for cancer such as inflammation; excessive body fat; and the pre-diabetes condition, insulin resistance. However, exercising 30 minutes on a treadmill isn’t the answer. One-to-two-minute breaks for every hour of sitting is what’s needed to prevent us from being “sitting targets” for cancer.

Low-grade fevers cause discomfort. However, they help us get well faster. Scientists have found additional evidence that low-grade fevers – 102 degrees and below – increase the ability of CD8+Cytotoxin T-cells to destroy both virus-infected cells and tumor cells. However, fevers above 102 degrees can be toxic to brain cells and precipitate seizures, as well as increase heart rate and basal metabolic rate, causing dehydration. Also, persistent fevers of 104 degrees are a sign of infection – not a virus you are going to get over. So … if you treat high fevers and endure low fevers, you will benefit from this “fever pitch”.

Texting causes “text neck”. It seems frequent texting causes texters to hunch over their cell phones and tablet screens and flex their necks for extended periods of time. Chiropractors warn that in severe cases the neck muscles can adapt to fit the flexed position, making it painful to straighten the neck. If the condition goes untreated, text neck can result in permanent arthritic damage. Supposedly this condition can be avoided by taking frequent breaks and by looking straight ahead while tucking the chin back toward the neck every few minutes. This exercise may soon be known to texters as “chin-downs”.

 Smoking doubles stroke risk. A study of 982 stroke patients presented at the Canadian Stroke Congress found smokers had double the risk of stroke caused by a dislodged blood clot (ischemic stroke) and 4 times the risk of stroke caused by a ruptured blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). But that’s not all. The average age of stroke victims who smoked was 58 – 9 years younger than the average age of non-smokers. Also, smoking increased stroke complications and the likelihood of having more strokes. However, within 2 years of quitting smoking, stroke risk dropped to non-smoker levels – and strokes of luck increased.