KNIGHT WATCH

WHAT DO'S SHOULD BE DO NOT'S?

Regular diet soda drinkers may be at higher risk for metabolic syndrome – excess abdominal fat, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 32% of diet soda drinkers eating a “Western diet” – heavy in fried foods, meats and sugars – had metabolic syndrome. Twenty percent of diet soda drinkers eating a “prudent diet” – rich in fruits, fish, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and milk – had metabolic syndrome. However, only 17% of prudent eaters who didn’t drink diet soda had the syndrome. It seems drinking diet soda isn’t prudent.

Drinking energy or sports drinks doesn’t seem prudent either. Although the citric acid they contain is meant to enhance favor and shelf life, it also strips tooth enamel, making teeth susceptible to decay. A study published in General Dentistry tested 22 energy and sports drinks. Chopped-up molars were put in petri dishes with the beverages for 15 minutes, followed by artificial saliva for 2 hours. This was repeated 4 times a day for 5 days. Both drinks removed enamel, but energy drinks removed much more. Considering 30%-50% of teens drink these drinks, they may be putting “their parents’ money where their mouth is”.

Brain tumors have been linked to dental x-rays. A study published in the journal Cancer showed people who’d had dental x-rays were likelier to develop meningioma, the most frequently occurring head tumor. The vast majority are non-cancerous; but depending on their location, meningiomas could cause blindness or other serious neurological damage. Patients who’d had bitewing x-rays annually were 1.4-1.9 times likelier to have had a meningioma. Panorex exams, which provide images of all the teeth on 1 film, have almost twice the radiation as 4 bitewings. It seems if dental x-rays aren’t necessary, neither is the risk.

Shift workers – and anyone not getting enough sleep – have a higher risk of diabetes. In a study published in Science Translational Medicine, the sleep of 21 healthy adults – ages 20-60 – was manipulated in a lab without windows. After 6 weeks of restricting sleep and disrupting the body’s clock, participants’ metabolism decreased and blood glucose spiked after eating – behaviors that caused increased diabetes risk. And that’s not all. The same body behaviors also increased obesity risk – the risk of gaining 10 pounds in a year. Nevertheless, when you get the proper amount of sleep, you “gain ground” on good health.

 

DO OUR MINDS NEED REMINDING?

Daily physical exercise protects against Alzheimer’s. In a study published in Neurology 716 seniors – average age 82 – were monitored for 10 days with an actigraph, a wrist device measuring activity. Over a follow-up period averaging 3.5 years, participants in the bottom 10% of daily physical activity were 2.3 times likelier to develop Alzheimer’s than those in the top 10%. Also, participants in the bottom 10% of activity intensity were 2.8 times likelier to develop Alzheimer’s than those in the top 10%. Playing cards, cooking, physically moving a wheelchair were all beneficial. It seems Alzheimer’s is less likely to hit a “moving target”.

Seniors who keep moving with resistance training may be able to slow down or prevent dementia. A study published in Archives of Internal Medicine studied 86 women ages 70-80, who had mild cognitive impairment. The women were divided into 3 exercise groups – resistance, aerobic and balance/toning – and exercised twice a week for 6 months. However, only the resistance group showed significant improvement in executive brain functioning and associative memory, which was attributed to increased blood flow to key brain areas. Worldwide 1 case of dementia is detected every 7 seconds. Seven isn’t always a lucky number.

Moderate exercise combined with computer use decreases risk of memory loss. A study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings included 926 seniors ages 70-93, who answered questionnaires about their exercise and computer use within the past year. Of those who exercised and used a computer, 36% were cognitively normal and 18.3% showed signs of mild cognitive impairment. Of those who did neither, 20.1% were cognitively normal and 37.6% showed signs of MCI. For the computer challenged reading, games, playing music and artistic activities can be substituted. Exercise increases blood flow and mental stimulation connects neurons. However, they don’t have to be done “twogether”.

Finally, berries may delay memory decline. A study published in Annals of Neurology involved more than 16,000 women over age 70. They were questioned about food consumption every 4 years since 1980 and their memory was tested every 2 years between 1995 and 2001. Women who ate at least half a cup of blueberries or 2 half cups of strawberries weekly were likely to delay memory decline for up to 2.5 years. Berries contain flavonoids, which prevent damage to brain cells and to cellular proceedings. By the way, blueberries and strawberries are expected to have “fruitful” results for men too.

 

ARE WE SABOTAGING OUR OWN WEIGHT LOSS?

There are 4 ways to sabotage your weight loss. According to CBS News’ HealthPop, thinking about the lightness of a meal can cause your brain to make more ghrelin, a hormone that slows down metabolism. Instead, think about the wholegrain bread you’re having with your salad. Buying food with a credit card can cause you to buy less healthy food. Use Cash. Sitting for a few hours can cause your body to stop making lipase, a fat-inhibiting enzyme. Stretch every hour. Finally, not enough sleep can cause your body to crave carbohydrates and fats. Go to bed earlier. Don’t “weight up”.

Sleeping more may also fight your genetic predisposition to gain weight. In a University of Washington study researchers analyzed self-reported data on height, weight and sleep duration of 604 pairs of identical twins and 484 pairs of fraternal twins. Short sleep was considered -7 hours, normal sleep was 7-8.9 hours and long sleep was 9+ hours. For those averaging 9+ hours genetic factors accounted for about 32% of weight variations. It was 60% for those sleeping 7-9 hours and 70% for those sleeping -7 hours. Although sleep need and Body Mass Index are inherited traits, you don’t have to “take them lying down”.

Weight loss has even been sabotaged by the Body Mass Index – a height/weight ratio used by health officials for decades to categorize people as overweight and obese. In a study published in the journal PLoS ONE, the BMI of approximately 1,400 people was compared to their body fat percentage. Thirty-nine percent of those who were overweight by BMI standards were obese according to their body fat percentage. Obesity is 25% or more for men and 30% or more for women. It seems even experts have difficulty “fat-homing” who is overweight and who is obese.

However, there’s 1 way not to sabotage your weight loss – hang out with family and friends who are losing weight. A study published in the Archives of Surgery tracked families of 35 gastric bypass patients. One year after the surgery other overweight or obese family members had lost approximately 5% of their body weight. This is known as the “halo effect”. Because they wanted to be supportive, family members made healthy food choices and exercised together. Unfortunately, the halo effect can also affect weight gain, smoking and drinking. That we can be judged by the company we keep may be scientific fact.

 

IS THE WORD TOGETHER BEING REDEFINED?

Women tell more money lies than men. According to a survey of 23,000 conducted by the websites TODAY and SELF, 56% of women lied compared to 37% of men. This was in spite of 66% of respondents saying honesty about money is as important as sexual fidelity. Twenty-five percent of women said something new was old and women were almost twice as likely to hide purchases. When asked why they kept money secrets, the top answers for both sexes were they deserved to spend money they earned and they disagreed about what to buy. Considering “money talks”, we aren’t all listening.

A computer program can predict if a couple will date and if they will date for 3 months. The conversations between couples speed dating were fed into the program, along with information about how they perceived the speed dating - talking one-on-one to multiple people for short intervals of time to see if there’s mutual interest in dating. The more similarly the couples used filler words - pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, etc. - the likelier they were to date. This isn’t because similar people attract. It’s because when two people pay close attention to each other, they “speak the same language”.

More people are intermarrying. The 2010 Census showed among opposite-sex, married couples 10% (5.4 million couples) are racially mixed. That’s a 28% increase since 2000. Among unmarried, heterosexual couples 18% (1.2 million couples) were of different races and among same-sex couples it was 21% (133,477 couples). The Census also showed changes in household compositions. Non-family households increased by 5 million, unmarried-partner households increased by 2.2 million and households with 3 or more generations increased by 1.2 million. “Diversity is the one thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day.” is a quote from an unknown – but wise – person.

The number of people 50+ who are cohabitating has more than doubled from 1.2 million in 2000 to 2.57 million in 2010. That’s according to an analysis of government data by Bowling Green State University. Money is a major factor in couples not marrying. They may not want to share individual savings; give up a benefit – such as a pension or Social Security payment – dependent on their being divorced or widowed; or be financially responsible for their partner’s health care bills. However, considering 33% of the 7.5 million cohabiters are over age 50, the golden years can be golder.

 

WHERE DOES THE U.S. FIT IN?

The U.S. is below average in the relative number of workers ages 25-34 with degrees in STEM fields, such as math and science. There are approximately 1,472 math and science graduates for every 100,000 of these workers. That’s according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s 2009 data. Korea is first on the list of 31 member countries, followed by New Zealand and France. The U.S. is 24^th. Hungary is last. Because research shows innovation depends on how many workers have STEM degrees, many countries import talented graduates from other countries to do  - among other things – “stem cell” research.

Happily, the U.S. is below average in taxes paid by its workers. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development compared taxes for a typical wage earner in 34 member countries. In the U.S. about 29% went toward taxes in 2011. Workers of 25 countries paid more. Workers in Belgium, Germany, Hungary and France paid about 50%. However, workers in 8 countries paid less. Workers in Chile, New Zealand and Mexico paid about 7%. One reason American workers pay a comparably low percentage is because the U.S. doesn’t have compulsory health care – which is a “taxing” thought for many Americans.

Zurich is the world’s most expensive city. According to the 2012 global survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Zurich replaced Tokyo, which had been first for 20 years and is now second. It seems the rising cost of living in Switzerland and Japan is due to their strengthening economies. Geneva and Osaka tied for third. Oslo was fourth and Paris was fifth. Hard as it may be to believe, the U.S. didn’t have 1 city in the top 10. New York City - the most expensive U.S. city – was ranked fifteenth – making a bite of the “Big Apple” seem more affordable.

South Korea has the most plastic surgery – that is when it’s calculated by percentage of population. Based on 2010 data from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery liposuction, rhinoplasty and blepharoplasty (double eyelid surgery) are the most popular procedures in South Korea. Greece, where breast augmentation is the most popular, is second. Third is Italy and there liposuction was performed the most. Breast augmentation tied with liposuction to make Brazil fourth and cosmetic tourism made Columbia fifth. The U.S., where breast augmentation was a close second to liposuction, was sixth. Maybe we are getting “nip and tuckered out”.

 

WHY ARE WE THE WAY WE ARE?

Are people born nice? In a study published in the journal Psychological Science, 348 participants answered questions such as “Do people have a duty to pay taxes?”, “Are people basically good or bad?” and “Do you engage in charitable activities?”. Then their saliva was tested. The participants who had sensitive receptors to the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin – both associated with pair bonding – were likelier to do nice things. They were also more willing to be nice or aggressive on behalf of others. In the future the ability of scientists to read our DNA may make us all “open books”.

Why do men go wild while watching sports? It’s biology. While watching games two hormones – testosterone and cortisol – increase in sports fans. Scientists examined the saliva of 50 Spanish soccer fans as they watched the 2010 World Cup finals between Spain and the Netherlands. (Spain won 1-0). Although no male/female differences were seen in testosterone levels, the amount of cortisol was generally much higher in males – causing them to feel a strong threat to their own social esteem if their team lost. However, because saliva samples from older men contained less cortisol, it’s expected increasing age gives men “a sporting chance” of sanity.

Why do teams in darker-colored jerseys get more penalties? A study by the University of Florida/Gainesville analyzed more than 50,000 NHL games. According to the study, teams wearing the darker jerseys were penalized about 2 minutes more per game. However, the reason isn’t clear. Maybe dark jerseys allow referees to see fouls more easily. Maybe players wearing dark jerseys feel more aggressive. Maybe referees have unconscious biases against darker colors. An earlier study by Cornell University found a similar pattern of penalties among NFL teams wearing darker colors. Is it time for sports to come out of the “Dark Ages”?

What does your dog say about your personality? A study presented to the British Psychological Society used an online survey to examine the personalities of 1,000 dog owners. The owners of sporting dogs were more agreeable and conscientious. The owners of herding dogs were more extroverted and the owners of hound dogs were more emotionally stable. Toy dog owners were more agreeable, conscientious and open to new experiences; and non-sporting dog owners were more conscientious and extroverted. However, no personality traits stood out for owners of terriers and working dogs. Then, of course, maybe they were just “dog-tired”.

 

IS THE AMERICAN WAY IN OUR WAY?

Fewer Americans have high cholesterol. High cholesterol starts at 240 milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood. Data collected in 2009 and 2010 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed only 13.4% of adults have high cholesterol. A decade ago it was 18.3%. This change was surprising because being overweight can raise cholesterol and 66% of adults are still overweight or obese. The explanation is many Americans are taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. In 2011 there were 264 million prescriptions for these drugs. It seems 66% of American adults are waiting for weight-lowering drugs that are just as effective.

About 25% of Americans aren’t satisfied with car repairs. That was the finding in 2012 when Consumer Reports surveyed 5,400 subscribers. Thirty-eight percent of them cited high prices, 28% complained problems weren’t fixed, 21% said work took longer to do and 18% had to bring back the car. Almost 25% had changed repair shops in the past 5 years and 30% of the women changed because the staff had tried to take advantage of their being female. The good news is almost 75% of Americans are satisfied with car repairs. I think singing the praises of car repair is called “car-oling”.   

American women exercise less than American men. That’s according to a 2005-2006 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 1,000 people wore accelerometers for 4 days to track movement. On average women did 18 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise daily and men did 30. It seems not doing at least 30 minutes increases the risk of metabolic syndrome – a collection of symptoms linked to cardiovascular disease including high blood sugar, high blood pressure and low HDL/good cholesterol. Unfortunately for the mothers who said they were too busy, exercising patience with children doesn’t count as exercise.

Americans owe more on student loans than they owe on credit cards. According to a 2012 NPR report, student debt is $867 billion, auto loans are $734 billion and credit card debt is $704 billion. However, the primary reason for the rise in total student debt isn’t that students are borrowing more money. The primary reason is that more people are going to college. The average debt for public college graduates went from $10,700 in 1999-2000 to $12,300 in 2009-2010. For private college graduates it went from $14,200 to $18,300. Of course, getting a bachelor’s degree has always been considered “higher education”.

 

HOW DOES AMERICA SIZE UP?

Washington, D.C. has the smallest pay gap between men and women. That was the finding of a 2012 analysis by the National Women’s Law Center. Women in the capital earned 91 cents for every dollar men earned. Of course, there’s less gap in government jobs than in private industry. Vermont and California also had small wage gaps. Louisiana and Utah were among the states with the largest gaps, but Wyoming had the largest – 64 cents for every dollar. Of course, Wyoming has more traditionally male-dominated industries, is largely rural and sparsely populated. Nevertheless, it’s no surprise a gap can become a “gap-e”.

San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, California is the city with the most eco-friendly car shoppers. That’s according to 2012 research by the website Cars. The definition used for eco-friendly car was any new car – hybrid or gas engine – getting more than 40 miles per gallon of gasoline. Madison, Wisconsin was second followed by Monterey-Salinas, California; Portland, Oregon; San Diego, California; and Green Bay-Appleton, Wisconsin. The city with the fewest eco-friendly car shoppers is Odessa-Midland, Texas followed by Laredo, Texas; Fairbanks, Alaska; Albany, Georgia; Bluefield-Beckley-Oakhill, Virginia/West Virginia; and Glendive, Montana. Of course, this could be just “shop talk”.

Charlotte, NC is the fastest growing city. According to the Census Bureau, its 2000-2010 population growth was 64.6%. This was attributed to it being the nation’s second largest financial center. Raleigh, NC was second. Its 63.4% growth was attributed to it being part of the “Research Triangle” and having several prestigious universities in the area. Cape Coral, FL was third at 60.8%. With 400 miles of canals, retirees buying affordable, waterfront homes was responsible. Provo, UT (59%) and Austin, TX (51.1%) were fourth and fifth. Considering the national average was less than 10%, these 5 cities didn’t just grow – they bloomed!

Williston, ND – with an 8.8% population increase – was the fastest growing micro area (10,000-50,000 people) between April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2011. Because of the state’s oil-drilling boom, Dickinson (4%) was ranked fourth by the Census Bureau and Minot (3.6%) was eighth. New Mexico had 6 of the fastest growing micro areas: Gallup (11^th), Portales (12^th), Alamogordo (13^th), Clovis (15^th), Grants (34^th) and Los Alamos (42^nd). None of the above was among the fastest growing micro areas between 2000 and 2010. The Villages, FL (4.6%) was ranked second. Instead of an oil boom, the retirement community had a baby boomers boom.

 

WHAT DO AMERICANS KNOW ABOUT AMERICA?

Are the life-spans of American women improving more slowly than American men’s? That’s the finding of a 2012 report by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Although women are still expected to outlive men by 4 years, life expectancy for men improved by 4.6 years on average between 1989 and 2009; but for women it improved by only 2.7 years. Women lived longest in Collier, Florida (85.8) and shortest in McDowell, West Virginia (74.1). Considering key reasons for the disparity in men’s and women’s life-spans are preventable causes of death – tobacco, obesity and alcohol – woman must do a better job to “man-age” their health.

What do Americans pay in taxes? In 2011 the federal government collected $2.3 trillion in taxes. That came from 5 tax sources: income ($1.1 trillion), payroll ($741.2 billion), “other” (268.7 billion), corporate ($200.8 billion) and estate and gift ($9.6 billion). Individual taxes pay for most of what government does – except for Social Security and Medicare, which are paid for by payroll taxes. For incomes less than $10,000 annually the average federal tax rate is 1.5% ($89 on average). For incomes of $1 million or more the rate is 29.1% ($849,996 on average). Unfortunately, the federal tax rate gets caught in tax “loopholes”.

Where does America get its oil? In 2012 most of America’s oil – 38.8% - is produced in the U.S. Latin America provides 19.6%, with Mexico representing 7.5% of that and Venezuela 5.9%. Canada provides 15.1%. The Persian Gulf is the source for 12.9% of our oil, with Saudi Arabia representing 8.1%. Then there’s Africa from whom we get 10.3%, with Nigeria representing 5.2%. Finally, 3.1% of our oil comes from “other”. Considering America is one of the world’s largest oil producers, even without oil from the Persian Gulf Americans would still be considered “well-oiled”.

How do criminals get on the FBI’s “10 Most Wanted” list? The Federal Bureau of Investigation considers 3 criteria: the length of time a person has avoided arrest, the risk the person will commit another crime (usually violent) and the likelihood national publicity would help capture the person. There have been 494 people on the list and 463 have been captured. Fifty-four percent have been murderers and the rest have been bank robbers, organized crime members, cartel bosses and terrorists. The “10 Most Wanted” list was the idea of J. Edgar Hoover – who was never known to be “listless”.

 

ARE ONE AND ONE ALWAYS TWO?

Maybe couples who get back together shouldn’t. A study done by Kansas State University analyzed data from 20 cyclical couples (couples who break up then make up) and 20 noncyclical couples (couples who stay together). Cyclical couples had a much harder time after reuniting. There was less communication, as well as lower satisfaction and commitment. They began marriage with more conflict and less feeling of closeness and were likelier to have a trial separation during their marriage. Considering in 2012 there are approximately 7 billion people in the world, there is very likely to be a Mr. or Ms “Righter”.

Among couples who divorce, pet custody cases are increasing. That’s according to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. If there is a child involved in the divorce, judges tend to keep the pet with the child. Although pets are considered property in every state, many judges are viewing pets more like children. Because there is no law that recognizes visitation with an animal, pet-related decisions can be more agonizing than decisions about mortgages and credit card debt. Maine, New York, California and Illinois include pets in domestic violence restraining orders. Obviously, decisions about family pets are far from “pet-ty”.

Then there are couples who cohabitate. A 2011 poll conducted by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers found that over the previous 5 years almost 50% of the 1,600 divorce lawyers surveyed had seen an increase in court battles between unmarried couples who had lived together. Thirty-nine percent of the divorce lawyers had seen an increase in the number of cohabitation agreements between live-in couples. These legally-binding contracts handle such issues as assets, as well as debts, co-ownership of a house, child custody and support obligations. A cohabitation agreement is the pre-nuptial agreement of the 21^st century.

Perhaps the problem with relationships remains the battle of the sexes. According to a 2012 Pew Research Center study, 58% of 18-34-year-old men in 1997 said being successful in a high-paying career was very important compared to 56% of women. In 2010/2011 the percentage was 59% for men and 66% for women. However, women were likelier to say having a good marriage and being a good parent were also very important. In 2012 more women than men are getting college degrees and women make up almost 50% of the workforce. Women seem more willing to try to “leap tall buildings in a single bound”.