Friday, August 17, 2007
Discovery Cove visits LITE FM
A few of the lovely creatures from Discovery Cove paid LITE FM a visit this morning. We heard about Star, the Two-Toed Sloth, Golden Conures, and Kookaburras. A limit to only 1,000 guests per day, Discovery Cove is exclusive... and all inclusive! Discovery Cove also fully involved in conservation efforts, committed to protecting and preserving wildlife and the environment the world over. Jeff Martin recently visited Discovery Cove and gives it two-toes up!
Toys on the recall list
A massive recall of toys, over 19 billion in fact. The main reason for the recall of these Chinese-made toys is that they're either tainted with lead or are somehow hazardous to children.
A list of the recalled toys.
A list of the recalled toys.
Help your teen doesn't need
They're called pro-eating disorder Web sites. And many teens looking to lose weight -- even those who don't need to -- are logging on to these communities of individuals who engage in dangerous eating habits. Yet many parents aren't aware the sites even exist and that their children are visiting them, researchers have found. Complicating matters, "pro-recovery" sites that promote recovery from eating disorders can also be a source of weight-loss or purging techniques, the researchers found.
Coffee and memory
Perk up the memory girls with three cups of coffee a day! A new study has found that drinking more than three cups of coffee a day may helped protect older women's memories. The study suggest that coffee protects women from some of the age-related memory decline. The researchers found that the more coffee drank, the better the effects seemed to be on women's memory functioning in particular, but men did not enjoy the same benefit. The effect also appeared to be age related with women over 80 having more benefits from the caffeine beverages than those who were 10 to 15 years younger.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Do you spend too much on your kids?
Are You Spending Too Much on Your Kids?
By Jane Bryant Quinn
Parents Who Pay Too MuchAre you one of them? You don't have to crunch any numbers to find out — just answer these seven questions:
If your kid asks for something special, will you buy it today instead of waiting for a birthday or the holidays?
If you have children older than 7, do you purchase what they need or want without asking them to contribute from their allowance or earnings?
Do you grumble about your kids' cell phone bills but pay them anyway?
Do you feel you have to throw big birthday parties because that's what other families in the neighborhood do?
In the kids' rooms, are there more toys and belongings than empty floor space?
Do you let your kids shop with your credit card without setting any limits?
Do you spend much more freely on your children than you do on yourself?
If you answered "yes" to more than two questions, you're probably spending too much on your kids.
What made me snap when I started looking at how much parents pay to raise their kids? Maybe it was seeing all those $400 Nintendo Wiis and $200 iPod Nanos fly off the shelves. Or perhaps it was the $10,000 "princess party" for a 3-year-old. Or the $879 Bugaboo "travel system" (that's the term for a high-end baby stroller).
This kind of overspending is not good for kids or their parents —because, unless you're in the top income bracket, the only way to give your children everything they want (or everything marketers tell you they should have) is to neglect your own retirement saving. And the message you're sending, meanwhile, is that money grows on trees. Or at least on Mommy and Daddy.
"Spending too much" is a value judgment, of course, not a specific number. On average, couples with two kids and a household income in the middle range ($43,200 to $72,600) spend $7,493 a year on each child, from birth to age 17, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (The per-child total rises to $11,234 if you count their share of the cost of maintaining your home, such as insurance, mortgage interest, and utilities.) While those aren't princess-party budgets, spending much more than the averages may be overdoing it — and can even lead to credit card debt and other money troubles. A recent study by Robert Manning, Ph.D., professor of consumer finance at RIT in Rochester, NY, found that parents use credit more freely when buying for their children than when shopping for themselves.
Another way to define "too much" is to ask yourself this: If you're in your 30s, are you putting at least 10 percent of your income into a retirement plan? If you're in your 40s or 50s, are you saving 15 percent? If you're nowhere close to those goals, you may be spending too much on your family lifestyle, and your child-related costs are a good place to consider cutting back.
What Your Kids Can Do
One way to control spending is, surprisingly, to give your child more financial responsibility, says Janet Bodnar, author of Money Smart Women.
Starting at 6 or so, kids should have allowances and use them to pay for certain expenses. For example, 8-year-olds might finance their own trading cards, snacks, or hair ornaments. By 12, they can pay for their DVD rentals and iTunes purchases. (Have them scour stores and the Web for the lowest prices and show you their research.) By 16, they should have a fixed clothing allowance — that way, if they want $100 jeans, they'll see that the only way to buy them is to cut back on everything else. When they're older, part-time jobs should help cover their cell phone bills and gasoline. Giving your kids limits takes the pressure off you.
How large a weekly allowance should you give each child? That depends. If you'd like your son to budget for his own video games, he'll need a bigger allowance than if you're paying for them yourself. But this point is crucial: Don't ride to the rescue if the money runs out. If you set up clear house rules and stick to them, your kids will learn to make the choices they need for a secure, happy financial future of their own.
How You Can Cut Back
Be skimpy with baby and toddler purchases. Buy as little as possible because kids this age outgrow things so fast. If you've never shopped for your children on eBay, try it now, advise Steve and Annette Economides, authors of the money-saving handbook America's Cheapest Family. You'll find good and lightly used toys and books at low prices. (Before buying used baby furniture, check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Website — cpsc.gov — to ensure that the item wasn't recalled for safety reasons.) Also check out local parenting Websites (such as urbanbaby.com) for inexpensive equipment, clothes, and toys that other parents are looking to unload. And don't forget garage sales.
Scale down birthday parties. Forget what the neighbors do. You convey your values to your children by doing what you think is right, not by exhausting yourself with a party that breaks your budget. At the end of each backyard birthday for one of my sons, I filled water buckets, passed out squirt guns, and let the kids give one another (and me!) a soaking. It was always the party of the year. To chat with supportive parents, go to birthdayswithoutpressure.com.
Pay for less entertainment. Do you buy premium cable channels for your kids but not for yourself? Do you cram their schedules with lessons that require special equipment? With teens, do you pay to enroll them in summer programs instead of encouraging them to get jobs? Each of these individual decisions might make sense, but collectively they can put you over budget.
Control cell phone costs. Kids clamor for phones, to download music, e-mail pictures, and text message their friends. If this is the way their group keeps in touch, it's an expense you'll probably have to swallow. But costs can easily skyrocket, so choose a prepaid service with limited minutes. Or tell the kids that you'll pay for basic service only — they'll have to spend their own money for overage charges, text messages, and ring tones. They'll get frugal, fast.
Brace yourself for some whining. It can be hard to say no to kids — and if you try it, they may unleash their most fearsome weapons: guilt trips, grumbling, etc. Stand your ground. They may whine for a while, but they won't love you any less. In the long run, your children will learn valuable lessons in money management — and you'll be closer to a safe, financially secure retirement.
Is Your Spending Normal?
Here's the yearly average of what middle-income American parents shell out for each kid. See how you compare
Food ................$1,916
Transportation................$1,629
Child care/education................$1,324
Miscellaneous (entertainment, personal care, etc.) .........$1,193
Health care................$851
Clothing................$580
Source: 2005 USDA report, Expenditures on Children by Families
By Jane Bryant Quinn
Parents Who Pay Too MuchAre you one of them? You don't have to crunch any numbers to find out — just answer these seven questions:
If your kid asks for something special, will you buy it today instead of waiting for a birthday or the holidays?
If you have children older than 7, do you purchase what they need or want without asking them to contribute from their allowance or earnings?
Do you grumble about your kids' cell phone bills but pay them anyway?
Do you feel you have to throw big birthday parties because that's what other families in the neighborhood do?
In the kids' rooms, are there more toys and belongings than empty floor space?
Do you let your kids shop with your credit card without setting any limits?
Do you spend much more freely on your children than you do on yourself?
If you answered "yes" to more than two questions, you're probably spending too much on your kids.
What made me snap when I started looking at how much parents pay to raise their kids? Maybe it was seeing all those $400 Nintendo Wiis and $200 iPod Nanos fly off the shelves. Or perhaps it was the $10,000 "princess party" for a 3-year-old. Or the $879 Bugaboo "travel system" (that's the term for a high-end baby stroller).
This kind of overspending is not good for kids or their parents —because, unless you're in the top income bracket, the only way to give your children everything they want (or everything marketers tell you they should have) is to neglect your own retirement saving. And the message you're sending, meanwhile, is that money grows on trees. Or at least on Mommy and Daddy.
"Spending too much" is a value judgment, of course, not a specific number. On average, couples with two kids and a household income in the middle range ($43,200 to $72,600) spend $7,493 a year on each child, from birth to age 17, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (The per-child total rises to $11,234 if you count their share of the cost of maintaining your home, such as insurance, mortgage interest, and utilities.) While those aren't princess-party budgets, spending much more than the averages may be overdoing it — and can even lead to credit card debt and other money troubles. A recent study by Robert Manning, Ph.D., professor of consumer finance at RIT in Rochester, NY, found that parents use credit more freely when buying for their children than when shopping for themselves.
Another way to define "too much" is to ask yourself this: If you're in your 30s, are you putting at least 10 percent of your income into a retirement plan? If you're in your 40s or 50s, are you saving 15 percent? If you're nowhere close to those goals, you may be spending too much on your family lifestyle, and your child-related costs are a good place to consider cutting back.
What Your Kids Can Do
One way to control spending is, surprisingly, to give your child more financial responsibility, says Janet Bodnar, author of Money Smart Women.
Starting at 6 or so, kids should have allowances and use them to pay for certain expenses. For example, 8-year-olds might finance their own trading cards, snacks, or hair ornaments. By 12, they can pay for their DVD rentals and iTunes purchases. (Have them scour stores and the Web for the lowest prices and show you their research.) By 16, they should have a fixed clothing allowance — that way, if they want $100 jeans, they'll see that the only way to buy them is to cut back on everything else. When they're older, part-time jobs should help cover their cell phone bills and gasoline. Giving your kids limits takes the pressure off you.
How large a weekly allowance should you give each child? That depends. If you'd like your son to budget for his own video games, he'll need a bigger allowance than if you're paying for them yourself. But this point is crucial: Don't ride to the rescue if the money runs out. If you set up clear house rules and stick to them, your kids will learn to make the choices they need for a secure, happy financial future of their own.
How You Can Cut Back
Be skimpy with baby and toddler purchases. Buy as little as possible because kids this age outgrow things so fast. If you've never shopped for your children on eBay, try it now, advise Steve and Annette Economides, authors of the money-saving handbook America's Cheapest Family. You'll find good and lightly used toys and books at low prices. (Before buying used baby furniture, check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Website — cpsc.gov — to ensure that the item wasn't recalled for safety reasons.) Also check out local parenting Websites (such as urbanbaby.com) for inexpensive equipment, clothes, and toys that other parents are looking to unload. And don't forget garage sales.
Scale down birthday parties. Forget what the neighbors do. You convey your values to your children by doing what you think is right, not by exhausting yourself with a party that breaks your budget. At the end of each backyard birthday for one of my sons, I filled water buckets, passed out squirt guns, and let the kids give one another (and me!) a soaking. It was always the party of the year. To chat with supportive parents, go to birthdayswithoutpressure.com.
Pay for less entertainment. Do you buy premium cable channels for your kids but not for yourself? Do you cram their schedules with lessons that require special equipment? With teens, do you pay to enroll them in summer programs instead of encouraging them to get jobs? Each of these individual decisions might make sense, but collectively they can put you over budget.
Control cell phone costs. Kids clamor for phones, to download music, e-mail pictures, and text message their friends. If this is the way their group keeps in touch, it's an expense you'll probably have to swallow. But costs can easily skyrocket, so choose a prepaid service with limited minutes. Or tell the kids that you'll pay for basic service only — they'll have to spend their own money for overage charges, text messages, and ring tones. They'll get frugal, fast.
Brace yourself for some whining. It can be hard to say no to kids — and if you try it, they may unleash their most fearsome weapons: guilt trips, grumbling, etc. Stand your ground. They may whine for a while, but they won't love you any less. In the long run, your children will learn valuable lessons in money management — and you'll be closer to a safe, financially secure retirement.
Is Your Spending Normal?
Here's the yearly average of what middle-income American parents shell out for each kid. See how you compare
Food ................$1,916
Transportation................$1,629
Child care/education................$1,324
Miscellaneous (entertainment, personal care, etc.) .........$1,193
Health care................$851
Clothing................$580
Source: 2005 USDA report, Expenditures on Children by Families
Double-check your infant's car seat
Researchers are warning parents of young babies that the dangers of sudden death exist when babies are seated, and not only when they are lying down. The researchers say very young babies are particularly vulnerable to sudden death, when seated and babies less than a month old are most at risk. It was found that though premature babies were not at greater risk, those aged under a month, were almost four times as likely to die suddenly while seated as were older babies. In the group of unexplained deaths babies under one month old were more than seven times as likely to die while seated. The authors say their research indicates that the rate of deaths among seated babies is relatively small at just over 3%, and there are no questions about the necessity or safety of car seats, but extra care should be taken for very young babies in any type of infant seat.
Women with migraines beware
Women who suffer from migraines that are accompanied by visual symptoms -- usually called an aura -- are at a slightly increased risk of stroke, especially if they smoke and take oral contraceptives, a new study says. One stroke expert said the new study adds to research that had already found that migraines with aura increase the risk of stroke in women. The findings are published in the September issue of the journal Stroke.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Secrets to a long and happy marriage
Have you ever wondered "what is the secret to a long and happy marriage?" Our collection of tried and true tips will help you answer that very question! These secrets to a happy marriage come straight from the horse's mouth -- those who are happily hitched!
(Romancestuck.com)
1. Never assume.
2. Compliment more than you criticize.
3. For each time you vent about your husband/wife to your friends, tell three positive stories.
4. Remember that it is ok to do things differently (e.g. there is more than one way to peel a potato or fold the laundry).
5. Always make time for the two of you.
6. Marry someone that you enjoy listening and talking to.
7. Remember that marriage is sometimes a bed of roses and sometimes there are thorns.
8. Remember that the best gift that you can give your children is to love their mother/father.
9. Be fair! Split the housework, spending money, etc evenly. This way you are never resentful of your partners contributions (or lack of) or expenditures.
10. Never go to bed angry. (Unless it's 3a.m. and you're exhausted, angry, and not thinking straight.)
For the rest of the list click here.
(Romancestuck.com)
1. Never assume.
2. Compliment more than you criticize.
3. For each time you vent about your husband/wife to your friends, tell three positive stories.
4. Remember that it is ok to do things differently (e.g. there is more than one way to peel a potato or fold the laundry).
5. Always make time for the two of you.
6. Marry someone that you enjoy listening and talking to.
7. Remember that marriage is sometimes a bed of roses and sometimes there are thorns.
8. Remember that the best gift that you can give your children is to love their mother/father.
9. Be fair! Split the housework, spending money, etc evenly. This way you are never resentful of your partners contributions (or lack of) or expenditures.
10. Never go to bed angry. (Unless it's 3a.m. and you're exhausted, angry, and not thinking straight.)
For the rest of the list click here.
The secret to success is....FOOD!
From Quick & Simple magazine- Some quick ways to eat your way toward a better night's sleep, a better job, and a better outlook on life:
1. Find yourself tossing and turning through the night? Try eating a bowl of whole grain cereal with skim milk, about one hour before bedtime.
2. If you want a promotion, make sure to eat breakfast! It'll give your brain the fuel to stay focused throughout the day, and breakfast eaters have lower levels of cortisone, the stress hormone, which will impress your boss because you stay so calm and cool under pressure. Yogurt with blueberries is a great addition to a healthy lunch.
3. Want to look more positively at the world around you? Low levels of B-12 and B-6 can lead to foul moods and crankiness, and bananas are loaded with B vitamins! Have a small bit of dark chocolate with your banana, or dip it in some chocolate! Recent studies show the "feel-good" chemicals released in your brain when you eat chocolate, and combining it with the banana will make your mood improve even more quickly.
1. Find yourself tossing and turning through the night? Try eating a bowl of whole grain cereal with skim milk, about one hour before bedtime.
2. If you want a promotion, make sure to eat breakfast! It'll give your brain the fuel to stay focused throughout the day, and breakfast eaters have lower levels of cortisone, the stress hormone, which will impress your boss because you stay so calm and cool under pressure. Yogurt with blueberries is a great addition to a healthy lunch.
3. Want to look more positively at the world around you? Low levels of B-12 and B-6 can lead to foul moods and crankiness, and bananas are loaded with B vitamins! Have a small bit of dark chocolate with your banana, or dip it in some chocolate! Recent studies show the "feel-good" chemicals released in your brain when you eat chocolate, and combining it with the banana will make your mood improve even more quickly.
Brown bag lunch ideas
Kid Friendly Feasts
1. Core an apple and stuff the inside with peanut butter. Top with raisins, nuts, sunflower seeds or toasted coconut. The filling will keep the cut apple from turning brown.
2. Cream cheese and jelly sandwiches, or spread bread with cream cheese and top with dried fruits like raisins, apples or apricots.
3. Mash a banana together with cream cheese and top with fresh apple, pineapple or peach slices.
4. Pack fresh fruit with yogurt dip.
5. Make fancy sandwiches by cutting shapes out of the bread with a cookie cutter (use the crusts and scraps to make breadcrumbs or croutons). Kids love the novelty and will be more apt to finish their lunch.
6. Use lunchtime as a bonding opportunity with your child, include a special little note with each lunch. If you need inspiration check out this wonderful book Napkins: Lunchbag Notes from Dad.
1. Core an apple and stuff the inside with peanut butter. Top with raisins, nuts, sunflower seeds or toasted coconut. The filling will keep the cut apple from turning brown.
2. Cream cheese and jelly sandwiches, or spread bread with cream cheese and top with dried fruits like raisins, apples or apricots.
3. Mash a banana together with cream cheese and top with fresh apple, pineapple or peach slices.
4. Pack fresh fruit with yogurt dip.
5. Make fancy sandwiches by cutting shapes out of the bread with a cookie cutter (use the crusts and scraps to make breadcrumbs or croutons). Kids love the novelty and will be more apt to finish their lunch.
6. Use lunchtime as a bonding opportunity with your child, include a special little note with each lunch. If you need inspiration check out this wonderful book Napkins: Lunchbag Notes from Dad.
Overweight middle class kids
Researchers say children from wealthy middle class homes are more likely to be overweight or obese than those from poorer backgrounds.
The findings to some extent dispel the myth that the poorest families have the worst diets as they suggest that the risk of obesity is greatly increased in line with family income. The researchers put this down to the rise in the numbers of highly-paid working mothers - who are often forced to leave a child in the care of a nanny or a nursery who take over control of the child's diet and physical exercise. Other suspected factors include a high consumption of snack foods and sweetened drinks, long hours spent watching television and low rates of breastfeeding which has been found to prevent obesity.
The findings to some extent dispel the myth that the poorest families have the worst diets as they suggest that the risk of obesity is greatly increased in line with family income. The researchers put this down to the rise in the numbers of highly-paid working mothers - who are often forced to leave a child in the care of a nanny or a nursery who take over control of the child's diet and physical exercise. Other suspected factors include a high consumption of snack foods and sweetened drinks, long hours spent watching television and low rates of breastfeeding which has been found to prevent obesity.
Breast augmentation and suicide
Women who undergo cosmetic breast augmentation surgeries are three times as likely to commit suicide as those who don't have surgically enhanced breasts, a new study finds.
The increase in suicide risk does not emerge until about 10 years or more after women receive the implants, the research shows. As to why the risk became statistically significant only later on, researchers speculated that, "it's possible that some women who may have had psychiatric illness prior to the implant may experience improvement in psychological functioning in the short term [after implant], but it's not sustained. So, 10 or 20 years out, there may be a recurrence or worsening of psychiatric problems."
The increase in suicide risk does not emerge until about 10 years or more after women receive the implants, the research shows. As to why the risk became statistically significant only later on, researchers speculated that, "it's possible that some women who may have had psychiatric illness prior to the implant may experience improvement in psychological functioning in the short term [after implant], but it's not sustained. So, 10 or 20 years out, there may be a recurrence or worsening of psychiatric problems."
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Top 4 skin care myths
Cosmopolitan Magazine beauty editors bust through the top four skin-care myths -- shared by both men and women -- and set you on your way to healthier and happier epidermis:
1. True or false: People can get addicted to their favorite lip balm.
False: Balms just make your lips look and feel soft so the tendency is to keep reapplying them after they wear off. The real issue is the lip licking. According to Dr. Kenneth Beer in Palm Beach, Florida, "The constant wetting and drying becomes a habit, and that's what depletes moisture." Stick to balms that contain petrolatum, glycerin or mineral -- and they won't rub off easily.
2. True or false: The more SPF products you layer on, the higher you level of sun protection. False: If you're wearing various layers of SPF, you're only protected up to the highest number that you put on." So a 30 moisturizer plus a SPF 10 powder equals a 30. Period.
3. True or false: Eating chocolate and greasy foods will make your skin break out.
False: The only foods that may worsen your acne are sushi, shellfish and soy sauce, says Dr Diane Berson, a New York City-based dermatologist. The reason they'll do that is because they all contain high amounts of iodine, which has been linked to breakouts.
4. True or false: Dry skin cause wrinkles.
False: Wrinkles form where collagen breaks down. Moisturizer can improve the look - but temporarily. But the number one cause of this collagen degeneration? Sun exposure.
1. True or false: People can get addicted to their favorite lip balm.
False: Balms just make your lips look and feel soft so the tendency is to keep reapplying them after they wear off. The real issue is the lip licking. According to Dr. Kenneth Beer in Palm Beach, Florida, "The constant wetting and drying becomes a habit, and that's what depletes moisture." Stick to balms that contain petrolatum, glycerin or mineral -- and they won't rub off easily.
2. True or false: The more SPF products you layer on, the higher you level of sun protection. False: If you're wearing various layers of SPF, you're only protected up to the highest number that you put on." So a 30 moisturizer plus a SPF 10 powder equals a 30. Period.
3. True or false: Eating chocolate and greasy foods will make your skin break out.
False: The only foods that may worsen your acne are sushi, shellfish and soy sauce, says Dr Diane Berson, a New York City-based dermatologist. The reason they'll do that is because they all contain high amounts of iodine, which has been linked to breakouts.
4. True or false: Dry skin cause wrinkles.
False: Wrinkles form where collagen breaks down. Moisturizer can improve the look - but temporarily. But the number one cause of this collagen degeneration? Sun exposure.
The coming hot jobs:
A new list has been released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics of the top occupations with the largest projected growth over the next seven years. Most of these jobs have earnings that fall within the top 25 percent for workers overall, and most require a college degree.
Occupations With the Largest Projected Growth Through 2014:
1. Registered Nurses: 703,000 new jobs
2. Postsecondary Teachers: 524,000 new jobs
3. Nursing Aides, Orderlies, Attendants: 325,000 new jobs
4. Management: 308,000 new jobs
5. Elementary School Teachers: 265,000 new jobs
6. Accountants: 264,000 new jobs
7. Computer Software Engineers: 222,000 new jobs
8. Computer Systems Analysts: 153,000 new jobs
(AOL)
Occupations With the Largest Projected Growth Through 2014:
1. Registered Nurses: 703,000 new jobs
2. Postsecondary Teachers: 524,000 new jobs
3. Nursing Aides, Orderlies, Attendants: 325,000 new jobs
4. Management: 308,000 new jobs
5. Elementary School Teachers: 265,000 new jobs
6. Accountants: 264,000 new jobs
7. Computer Software Engineers: 222,000 new jobs
8. Computer Systems Analysts: 153,000 new jobs
(AOL)
New moms watch your weight
While weight and obesity have long concerned women in relation to body image and lifestyle issues, few are aware of the possible risks that fluctuating weight could have on their unborn child, according to a study.
The key message, say the authors, is that women of normal weight should avoid gaining weight between pregnancies, while overweight and obese women are likely to benefit from weight loss before becoming pregnant. Most women want to achieve the best start in life for their babies, they add. This could be a powerful motivational factor in helping them change the way they eat.
The key message, say the authors, is that women of normal weight should avoid gaining weight between pregnancies, while overweight and obese women are likely to benefit from weight loss before becoming pregnant. Most women want to achieve the best start in life for their babies, they add. This could be a powerful motivational factor in helping them change the way they eat.
MRI vs Mammogram
MRI appears to be better than mammograms at finding breast cancer before it spreads, researchers report.
However, despite the technology's advantages, its cost and a lack of people skilled at reading breast MRIs means it won't replace mammograms any time soon, experts say. Also, MRI was not associated with many false positive findings. There's one big downside, however: MRI is very expensive compared with mammography. The American Cancer Society does recommend that women who are at high risk for breast cancer get an MRI in addition to their yearly mammogram.
However, despite the technology's advantages, its cost and a lack of people skilled at reading breast MRIs means it won't replace mammograms any time soon, experts say. Also, MRI was not associated with many false positive findings. There's one big downside, however: MRI is very expensive compared with mammography. The American Cancer Society does recommend that women who are at high risk for breast cancer get an MRI in addition to their yearly mammogram.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Kids living with single dads
A new study says, children living in the custody of single fathers are less likely to have access to affordable health care and visit the doctor less often compared to children living in families with a single mother or both parents.
Although single fathers are less likely to be poor and generally earn more money than single mothers, their children are more likely to visit the doctor only when sick. The number of single-father families in the United States quintupled between 1970 and 2003 to approximately 6 percent of all families, and single-father families are one of the types of families that are growing fastest.
Until recently, most research on single-parent families focused on single mothers and the effects of an absent father on children.
Although single fathers are less likely to be poor and generally earn more money than single mothers, their children are more likely to visit the doctor only when sick. The number of single-father families in the United States quintupled between 1970 and 2003 to approximately 6 percent of all families, and single-father families are one of the types of families that are growing fastest.
Until recently, most research on single-parent families focused on single mothers and the effects of an absent father on children.
Exercise and Diabetes
Moderate exercise, such as walking 30 minutes a day, may offer better protection against diabetes and heart disease than a more rigorous workout regimen, concludes a U.S. study that included 240 middle-age, sedentary people.
Perhaps even more surprising is that some of the benefits achieved through moderate exercise seem to last much longer than the benefits gained through more intense training. The study also found that low amount/moderate intensity exercise significantly lowered levels of triglycerides, which are particles that carry fat around the body and are also a good indicator of insulin resistance, a marker for diabetes. Reducing triglyceride levels lowers a person's risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Perhaps even more surprising is that some of the benefits achieved through moderate exercise seem to last much longer than the benefits gained through more intense training. The study also found that low amount/moderate intensity exercise significantly lowered levels of triglycerides, which are particles that carry fat around the body and are also a good indicator of insulin resistance, a marker for diabetes. Reducing triglyceride levels lowers a person's risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Tips on tipping
When you go out to dinner do you tip 15 or 20%? Do you tip on tax? Most people tip 20% but find out why.
Tip of the week: You are where you eat
It’s not just what you eat that matters. How you dine can play a major role in your weight and digestive well-being.
Do you eat in the dark, over the sink or at work? Find out how the location of your next meal can affect your waistline.
Do you eat in the dark, over the sink or at work? Find out how the location of your next meal can affect your waistline.
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