KNIGHT WATCH

DOES LOVE STILL MAKE THE WORLD GO ROUND?

Love doesn’t have to end because of differences in race. In 2012 interracial marriages in the U.S. are at an all-time high – 4.8 million. The Pew Research Center found 8.4% of current marriages are interracial – up from 3.2% in 1980. Hispanics and Asians remain likeliest to intermarry, but the biggest increase is among blacks. States in the West are likeliest to have mixed marriages – 1 in 5. The South is second likeliest followed by the Northeast and Midwest. Vermont is the state with the least mixed marriages – 4%. By the way, the “in” phrase for intermarrying is “marrying out”.

Love doesn’t have to end in the office. In 2011 CareerBuilder surveyed 7,780 full-time workers who weren’t self-employed and didn’t work for the government. Thirty-eight percent had dated a co-worker. Hospitality and financial service workers were the likeliest to date a colleague – 45%. Transportation and utility workers were the second likeliest – 43%. Twenty-eight percent of workers had dated someone higher up the company ladder and 18% had dated their boss. Although the majority of workers were open about their relationship, 37% kept it a secret. However, for 31% their office relationship led to marriage – otherwise known as overtime without pay.

Love doesn’t have to end when couples are geographically separated. In 2012 more than 3.5 million married couples in the U.S. have “commuter marriages”. Although the growing number has been influenced by relaxing social norms and the prevalence of online dating, the biggest factor is the economy. Nearly 60% of couples who live apart do so because of financial reasons. A 2009 UCLA study found couples who lived apart are likelier to live in urban areas, be better educated and be younger. Happily, however, studies show commuter marriages aren’t likelier to end in divorce. Maybe absence does make the heart grow … farther.

Love doesn’t have to end after marriage. A study published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science surveyed 274 married Americans nationwide. On average the respondents were in their mid- to late-40’s and had been married 20 years. Among those who were married at least 10 years, 40% remained “intensely” in love. They had more hugs, kisses and sex. Common interests were important – especially if they were new or challenging. General life happiness was important too. However, neither education level nor money affected long-term love. It seems love can endure in spite of the “age” in marriage.

 

WHAT WOULD CHILDREN LIKE TO TELL PARENTS?

Caesarian sections aren’t always best for preterm babies. A report presented to the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine found babies delivered by C-section weren’t less likely to develop subdural hemorrhages, seizures or sepsis than were vaginally delivered babies. However, C-section babies were 30% likelier to develop respiratory distress syndrome, which could turn into asthma later in life. According to the CDC, Caesarian sections increased 33% from 2000 to 20007 and increased 57% for women under age 25. In 2009 45.6% of preterm babies were delivered by Caesarian section compared to 35.1% of full-term babies. It seems expectant mothers need to be “pushier”.

Babies may eat better when they feed themselves. A study published in the journal BMJ Open compared the food preferences and weight of babies who fed themselves with finger food to babies who were spoon-fed. Both groups had equal exposure to snack foods. The self-fed babies preferred carbohydrates – toast, pasta, potatoes. The spoon-fed babies preferred sweets and were likelier to be obese as toddlers. Eight of the 63 spoon-fed babies became obese, but not one of the self-fed babies did. It seems as long as parents provide nutritious options, self-feeders are healthy eaters – and that “says a mouthful”.

Parents are less likely to use booster seats for children when they are carpooling. According to a survey of 681 parents published in the journal Pediatrics, 50% of parents didn’t make their children use booster seats when riding in the family car with boosterless friends. Twenty-one percent didn’t make their children use booster seats when riding in someone else’s car. Car crashes are the most common cause of death in children ages 3-14. In 2012 forty-seven states require booster seats for children up to 4 feet 9 inches tall. Shouldn’t the number of states be “boosted” to 50?

Teens may need less sleep than previously thought. Although national guidelines recommend at least 8 hours for young people, a study published in the Eastern Economics Journal compared standardized test scores with amounts of sleep reported by 1,724 students. According to the study, 7 hours of sleep was plenty for older teens. For 12-year-olds it was 8 hours and for 10-year-olds it was 9 hours. A report published in the journal Pediatrics echoed this finding by concluding, “no matter how much sleep children are getting, it has always been assumed that they need more”. In other words, parents “shouldn’t lose sleep over it”.

 

DOES ONE SIZE THINKING CAP FIT ALL?

For years it’s been too expensive to make pennies with copper. Since 1982 they’ve been made of zinc and coated with copper. In 2011 it cost 2.4 cents to make a penny. The cost of making all 4.3 billion pennies was $103,200,000. Pennies were made of steel in 1943 because of WWII. Steel is one-quarter the cost of zinc; but even if the U.S. Treasury used steel today, a penny could still cost more than 1 cent. Just the administration cost to make 4.3 billion pennies is a half-cent per penny. However, if pennies were discontinued, what would the average American pinch?

For years people have been using dating websites. Although it’s a billion-dollar industry, a report by a team of psychologists at Northwestern University said there’s no scientific evidence a website can determine 2 people have what it takes to maintain a long-term relationship before they have met. According to the report, 3 types of information are necessary: demographics (because it helps if potential mates are age and geographically appropriate), the actual dynamics between 2 people who have met and life circumstances that can affect couples. Supposedly, speed-dating is more effective because the mind can speed-read people better than profiles and e-mails.

For years there have been dining guides based on the food served. Now there’s “Diners Guide 2012: A Consumer’s Guide on the Working Conditions of American Restaurants”. The guide evaluates restaurants nationwide – fast food to fine dining – ranking them on their labor practices. It uses symbols to represent things like whether the restaurant pays sick leave or whether workers receive less than $5/hour. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, food service workers are the lowest paid workers. The minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13 – the same it’s been for 20 years. That’s far from “tip-top”.

For years people have been doing favors for others. In 2012 Bob Hoffman wants to spread that kindness nationwide – maybe worldwide. Twice yearly he gives “Pass it Forward” parties in East Lansing, Michigan. Attendees are encouraged to do random acts of kindness for strangers and ask them to pass on a good deed. Donating quarters for other people’s laundry, shoveling driveways, taking groceries to someone’s car – Hoffman got the idea after a driver cut him off. Instead of seeking revenge, he decided to find ways to make the world nicer. Pass it Forward is the result of a “driving force”.

 

IS IT ALL ABOUT FEELING GOOD?

We already know the Mediterranean Diet is good because it lowers risk of heart disease, stroke and dementia. Now maybe we know why. In a study published in the Archives of Neurology, researchers compared brain scans and diets of 966 adults – average age 72. Those who most closely followed the Mediterranean Diet (fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, legumes, olive oil and moderate alcohol) had the least small blood vessel damage in their brain. Because this damage increases with age and predicts higher risks of stroke and dementia, perhaps in this case the word diet should be changed to “livet”.

Massage does more than feel good. Researchers put 11 men through a hard exercise routine. After the workout each man got a 10-minute, Swedish-type massage on one leg. Using gene-profiling techniques, muscle samples from both legs were compared before and after the workout. The gene profiling showed massage had activated genes that decrease inflammation and genes that promote the creation of mitochondria – structures that are like energy factories inside cells. The fitter a muscle, the more mitochondria it has. According to this study, massage helps both muscle recovery and muscle growth. That’s information that can’t “rub someone the wrong way”.

Knee replacements make us feel good … again. In 2009 the number of those surgeries topped 600,000 – having doubled in 10 years. In 2012 there were 4.5 million Americans who had had knee replacement surgery. That’s according to a report presented to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Because the surgery becomes more common with age, part of the increase in knee replacements was due to people age 80 and over. Another part was due to obese baby boomers. However, the majority of the increase was due to injuries in active middle-agers – who had decided they didn’t “kneed” the pain.

Finally, marijuana may feel good; but it almost doubles the risk of vehicle collisions. In a study published in the British Medical Journal, researchers reviewed 9 marijuana/driving studies that included approximately 50,000 people. Alcohol affects drivers’ speed and reaction time; marijuana affects spatial location. Drivers may follow cars too closely and swerve in and out of lanes. People impaired by alcohol often realize they are impaired; those impaired by marijuana often don’t. If drivers are 35 or younger, there’s a higher likelihood of marijuana causing collisions than previously thought. Those driving after smoking pot within 3-4 hours aren’t using their “potheads”.

 

HOW LONG CAN WE REMEMBER THIS?

Keeping your brain active throughout life helps prevent Alzheimer’s. A study published in JAMA Archives of Neurology included 65 healthy adults ages 60 and older, 10 adults with Alzheimer’s and 11 adults ages 20-30. All the participants completed mental tests, answered questions about mentally challenging activities and had brain scans. Older adults with the highest cognitive activity over a lifetime – reading, writing, puzzles – had ofbeta-amyloid levels (a protein linked to Alzheimer’s) comparable to the younger adults. Older adults with the least cognitive activity had ofbeta-amyloid levels comparable to those with Alzheimer’s. Hmmm, let’s think of crossword puzzles and “happyword” puzzles.

Overeating may increase the risk of memory loss in the elderly. A Mayo Clinic study included 1,200 seniors – ages 70-89 – of which 163 had mild cognitive impairment. MCI is the intermediate stage between normal cognitive decline and dementia and it increases the risk of dementia. In the study seniors were questioned about their daily caloric intake and then divided into 3 caloric groups: 600-1,526; 1,526-2,143; and 2,143-6,000 calories daily. The risk of MCI was more than double for those in the highest caloric group. It seems remembering not to overeat now will help us to remember that and more when we’re seniors.

Mild memory problems are more common in men. Symptoms include difficulty remembering recent events and/or new information, as well as problems with language, thinking or judgment. The 1,450 study participants ages 70-89 were dementia free. They took mental tests every 15 months for 3 years and were interviewed about their memory. The rate of developing mild cognitive impairment was higher among men. It was also higher in the less educated and singles. Some of the strongest risk factors for MCI are high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity – which occur earlier in men – and may explain the “men” in dementia.

Smoking may cause earlier mental decline in men. According to a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, the mental function of a 50-year-old, male smoker can decline as quickly as that of a 60-year-old non-smoker. This was true even when educational level and overall health were considered. Also, this finding didn’t apply to just pack-a-day smokers. Intermittent smokers showed the same cognitive decline as persistent smokers. Surprisingly, the same cognitive decline wasn’t seen in female smokers. However, this finding was attributed to gender differences in smoking and health patterns – not because female brains received different “smoke signals”.

 

DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO SAN JOSE?

San Jose, California is the city where women earn the most money. In 2012 the publication Forbes Women analyzed Census Bureau data, using the average earnings for full-time, year-round, female workers in the largest metropolitan areas. The average salary in San Jose was $67,052. San Francisco was second with $65,526 and Washington was third with $64,779. The women in those cities were likelier to have more education and to be in management, business, science and the arts instead of having service jobs. The city where women earned the least was McAllen, Texas - $31,287. Not everything is big in Texas.

Raleigh, North Carolina is the healthiest city for women. That’s according to Women’s Health magazine’s 2012 survey of 100 cities. Raleigh’s #1 ranking was primarily due to 90% of the women having scheduled Pap smears and 81% over age 40 having scheduled mammograms. San Jose, California was ranked second primarily due to having the most women who run, swim or lift weights regularly. And Madison, Wisconsin’s #3 ranking was primarily due to less than 3% of the women being sad all or most of the time and less than 2% feeling hopeless. These are cities with more zip in their zip codes.

Wyoming has the friendliest business taxes. The annual ranking is done by The Tax Federation – a nonpartisan, pro-business, research group. It takes into account 118 variables in 5 major taxes: business, individual income, sales, unemployment insurance and property. Every state levies unemployment insurance and property taxes, but some states don’t levy one or more of the major taxes. In the 2012 ranking South Dakota was second friendliest and Nevada was third. New Jersey had the unfriendliest business taxes followed by New York and California. New Jersey is the “Garden Sate”. One would think businesses could expect “garden-variety” taxes.

California sets the trends in health regulations. As of 1986 California has required information on products if they contain chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm. As of 1988 California was first to tax cigarettes to fund a tobacco control program. In 1998 smoking was banned in public places. Skipping to the present, as of 2012 student athletes are required to have medical clearance after sustaining head injuries and teens are banned from using tanning booths. Although the list goes on and on, Californians’ health ranks 24^th nationally. In the “Golden State” everything that glitters isn’t gold. 

 

 

WHAT'S CHANGING IN THESE CHANGING TIMES?

Food contains less trans-fatty acids. Although similar studies are being done with other races, the CDC says trans fats decreased 58% in white adults between 2000 and 2009. Although trans fats were promoted as a lard alternative in the 1980’s, by the mid 1990’s health activists denounced trans fats because they increased cholesterol. In 2006 the FDA required food manufacturers to list trans fats on nutrition labels and by 2012 most food-makers and restaurants had substituted alternatives like sunflower oil. However, foods labeled “zero trans fats” can contain up to 0.5 grams per serving. It seems 0.5 is the new zero.

In 2012 the Obama administration called for schools nationwide to replace textbooks with e-readers by 2017. The Department of Education thinks technology improves students’ motivation, technical skills and collaboration with peers. The FCC says the government spends approximately $90 on textbooks per student yearly; but if textbook companies make their content digital, e-readers could be significantly cheaper. Hardcover books last for years; e-readers are likelier to be lost, broken or stolen. Would students without home Internet access be at a disadvantage? Well, it’s just a matter of time until textbooks go digital – and no book will qualify as a “page-turner”.

Helicopter parents – parents who hover over their children – were first noticed when their millennial children were beginning college. Now their children are in their 20’s and the parents are hovering in the workplace. Michigan State University surveyed more than 700 employers. Approximately 33% said parents had submitted resumes for their children – some without their children knowing. Twenty-five percent said parents had urged them to hire their child. Four percent said parents had wanted to attend the job interview to discuss salary, benefits, etc. Is it me or should helicopter – in reference to parents – be spelled with two L’s?  

Luxury seats accounted for 5%-20% of revenue for major league, sports teams in 2012. In fact, during the past 20 years adding suites has been a major reason why 75% of American teams have built new or remodeled their stadiums. The number of suites varies. The new Yankee Stadium has 68, while Dallas Cowboy Stadium has 300. Prices also vary from $80,000 to $900,000 a year. What else does that money buy? Suite benefits usually include luxury, theater-style seats; multiple flat-screen TV’s; private stadium entrance; high end food and liquor; and access to team events and players. How “suite” it is!

 

 

IS THIS INFORMATION WE CAN SWALLOW?

Ninety percent of Americans eat too much salt. On average American adults eat more than 3,300 milligrams daily. The recommended amount is no more than 2,300 milligrams. That’s according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The salt we put on food at home accounts for only 5% of the salt we eat. Sixty-six percent is in the food we purchase at stores and 25% is in what we order at restaurants. Reducing sodium levels by 10% would supposedly prevent 28,000 deaths yearly. One way to reduce salt is to read nutrition labels. Information – not food – is something you can “salt away”.

Bread and rolls are the #1 source of salt in the American diet. Bread and rolls aren’t saltier than many other foods. The problem is we eat a lot of them. Ten foods are responsible for 44% of the sodium consumed. That’s also according to the CDC. The other 9 foods in decreasing order are cold cuts and cured meats, pizza, fresh and processed poultry, soups, fast food hamburgers and sandwiches, cheese, pasta dishes, meat dishes, and snacks like pretzels and potato chips. For some reading this list might be “rubbing salt in the wound”.

Green tea has been linked to a lower risk of diseases causing functional disability in the elderly – diseases including stroke, cognitive impairment and osteoporosis. Functional disability is an inability to perform physical activities necessary for daily care. In a 3-year study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, approximately 14,000 Japanese ages 65+ answered questions about green tea consumption. That information was compared with their functional disability. Drinking less than 1 cup a day showed a 13% risk of functional disability. Drinking at least 5 cups was 7% - a statistic that might make coffee drinkers “see green”.

One thing Americans of all ages don’t get enough of is vitamin D. In a study presented to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 900 adults – as young as 18 – were admitted to a trauma center for orthopedic injuries. Seventy-seven percent had insufficient or deficient levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D strengthen bones by helping the body absorb calcium. We get D from food and the sun helps our body make it. In 2010 the Institute of Medicine recommended 600 IU’s of vitamin D daily for those under age 70 and 800 IU’s for those over 70 - “make no bones about it”.

 

WHAT'S YOUR DEFINITION OF ODD?

Beer sales are down. Shipments in 2011 decreased 1.4% to an eight-year low. According to the trade publication Beer Marketer’s Insights, Americans want drinks with more alcohol and sophistication. Because of that, wine and liquor sales increased 4% or more. Because sales of craft beers - beers made by individual or small group of beer masters in relatively small batches – have increased, major beer companies are making craft beers. They are also making beers with a higher alcohol content – 6% - and hard cider – whose sales increased 20% in 2011. For beer companies it’s hard cider for hard times.

Recliners – categorized as motion furniture – are best sellers in the furniture business. Even in a laggard economy sales of reclining chairs and sofas totaled approximately $3.5 billion in 2011 and the trade publication Furniture Today expects sales will grow 21% over the next 5 years. Fall and winter are the busiest periods for recliner sales – especially in the Midwest and Northeast - where people spend more time indoors. In fact, in the 2 weeks before 2012’s Super Bowl there were double-digit increases in sales. Sales to women have increased and there are more his-and-her purchases – as “chairity” begins at home.

Twitter, the 6-year-old microblogging site, has more than 100 million active users. One of them is Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama. Sample tweet: If the twentieth century was a century of violence, let us make the twenty-first century a century of dialogue. Eighty-year-old, media-empire tycoon, Rupert Murdoch also tweets. Sample tweet: Facebook a brilliant achievement, but $75-100bn? Would make Apple look really cheap. Then there’s Don Rickles, the 85-year-old comedian, who tweets almost daily. Sample tweet: Just finished “Hot In Cleveland” – I keep telling Betty White I’m happily married 46 years, but she keeps saying we can work something out!

Finally there’s Aunt Barbara, a gaudy housewife from Long Island, New York, who’s really 43-year-old Robert Suchan. After success on the Tupperware party circuit, he quit his job as a social worker to sell the product full-time as Aunt Barbara. In 2011 Suchan sold $250,000 worth – making him top seller in North America and earning him a Ford Mustang convertible and a trip to Hawaii. Standing 6-foot-5 in heels, he can make the transition to Aunt Barbara with dress, bouffant wig and layers of makeup in 20-25 minutes. Clothes may not make the man, but they can make the man money.

 

HOW ARE WE RELATING TO RELATIONSHIPS?

Twenty-seven percent of singles don’t want to marry. That’s according to the annual “Singles in America” study, which surveyed 5,541 singles across the country. Approximately 35% wanted to marry and 40% weren’t sure. The top 5 turnoffs to singles were sloppy appearance (67%), laziness (66%), neediness (63%), humorlessness (54%) and distance – more than 3 hours – (49%). Thirteen percent of women and 7% of men wanted the same religion, 13% of women and 8% of men wanted the same ethnicity and 36% of women and 13% of men wanted an equal wage earner. In 2012 that’s what is “singularly attractive”.

“Modamily” is a website that pairs couples interested in co-parenting, but aren’t interested in sex or marriage. Although similar social networks exist in Europe and Israel, this is the first in the U.S. Launched in January 2012, the New York-based site had approximately 20,000 visits the first week, of which 70% were heterosexual men in their 40’s and 50’s. Through a co-parenting contract the couples decide how the child will be conceived and raised – including religion, time commitments and financial obligations. The fee to subscribers is $50 a month. Gee … Modamily seems to have thought about everything – except the children!

Relationships with strangers can make us overeat. In a study published in PLoS ONE, 70 pairs of women ate in a lab made to look like a restaurant. At the beginning of the meal the pairs of strangers were 3 times likelier to mirror the other’s overall eating behavior. This was attributed to their trying to make favorable impressions. Other studies have shown that people ate more when eating with others and that people with eager-to please personalities were likelier than other people to eat a larger amount when offered food – which may give new meaning to “pleasingly plump”.

And then there’s the relationship people have with their phone. A survey of 1,000 people by marketing company 11 Mark found 75% of Americans used their mobile phone in the bathroom. Sixty-three percent had received a call and 41% had initiated a call. It seems Blackberry users were likelier to talk. Droid and iPhone users were likelier to browse a social network or use an app. When broken down by sex, 30% of men always took their phone into restrooms compared to 20% of women. I guess that explains the 19% of people who have dropped their phone in the toilet.