Safety

This week, the Archives of Internal Medicine published a study that divided women aged 39 and older into drinkers (light or regular drinkers) and nondrinkers and tracked their weight gain. Surprisingly, nondrinkers gained more weight — an average of nine pounds instead of three. Hey, that’s pretty good news for those who enjoy the occasionally glass of wine.

Too bad that trend didn’t carry over for men. Male drinkers gained more weight than nondrinkers, leading researchers to believe that men and women may process alcohol differently. But perhaps it has to do with varying trends in the amount men and women drink.

Obviously, the take away here isn’t that women 39 and older should drink until they drop a few pounds. But hey, I’ve heard worse excuses to drink. Prost!

More at Well. Photo by jeremylim.

Obesity is a growing danger among U.S. children (no pun intended), but how early can parents help prevent their children from becoming overweight? As a Los Angeles Times article suggests, parents should make an effort to prevent childhood obesity as early as, well, before the baby is born.

Today, one of every three U.S. children is overweight — but it’s much easier to prevent obesity than to treat it. That’s why pediatric obesity experts now say intervention should begin early — very early. The risk of becoming overweight or obese, it increasingly seems, begins before a child is born, establishes roots in infancy and may be entrenched by the time a tot starts kindergarten.

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The age-old rite of passage, spring break, is right around the corner and college kids across the country are starting to plan trips that are usually filled with an abundance of sun, alcohol, and sex. For many young girls, this is their first trip away from Mom and Dad’s watchful eye and a chance to cut loose. While most will return from these trips with merely some great stories to tell their friends, the sad reality is that some will make some regrettable choices and even put themselves in dangerous situations.
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You may or may not find this chart comparing the levels of caffeine in various drinks surprising, but it’s good to know that coffee lovers are the supreme caffeine addicts. (And maybe coffee lovers like knowing that brewed coffee has way more caffeine than an Americano?) Of course, the serving sizes for each beverage varies. The full breakdown at Wisebread.

Spring might mean the return of the sun and nice weather, but for those with allergies, it means a lot of coughing and sneezing. How do you and your kids get rid of allergies? Or at least stave them off? The Times suggests taking three steps: finding the right doctor, eliminating the source, and immunotherapy.

Mild allergies can be treated without much testing, and getting the right prescription and over-the-counter medication can make a world of difference. But for children with worse allergies, parents should take them to to an allergist, who can pinpoint exactly what your child is allergic to with a skin test. To find an allergist, check out the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology’s doctor locator.
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If you said that hot dogs were bad for me, I probably wouldn’t disagree with you. I mean, as delicious as they are, there’s no way a ballpark frank can be healthy. But the American Academy of Pediatrics is questioning the safety of hot dogs as a choking hazard. Here’s a surprising statistic:

Each year more than 10,000 children under the age of 14 are sent to the hospital because of choking. Of those seeking treatment, 77 die each year from choking-related injuries. Hot dogs, a favorite item to serve picky young eaters, are the most common food for young children to choke to death on, typically claiming 13 lives a year.

It seems clear to me that the solution is for parents to cut up hot dogs for their kids, but in a lot of ways, doesn’t that ruin the fun of eating a hot dog? Kids love hot dogs, chicken fingers, and grilled cheese because they’re simple and handheld. Obviously, there’s no way to stop kids from eating these foods, but parents should just keep in mind that hot dogs have the potential to be a choking hazard.

Check out the full story at Food Safety News. Photo by horizontal.integration.

It seems like everyone who doesn’t play an instrument wishes they had learned at a young age, and even those who do play wish they had learned at a younger age. But it’s never too late to pick up an instrument. And according to neuroscientists, learning an instrument is always good for your brain.

With age, the “plasticity” that allows experience to mold the brain so easily declines. But it doesn’t disappear. At any age, learning a challenging new set of skills such as instrumental music is likely to return cognitive dividends, says Harvard University neurologist Gottfried Schlaug. And for adults, he added, the prospect of making music can be a far more effective motivator to practice than nagging parents are to younger musicians.

Hey, Eric Clapton didn’t join his first band until he was 17, and I would be content being one-tenth of the musician he is — just enough so I can play “Layla,” but not enough so I could write “Tears in Heaven.”

Full story at the Los Angeles Times. Photo by Paul McCord Sr.

Last month, Mrs. Obama said that combating the nationwide obesity problem wouldn’t take major lifestyle changes. Instead, cutting out that single cookie or can of soda every day could be enough — “small changes that add up.” With this thinking, burning an extra 100 calories a day would help you lose a pound every 35 days, over 10 lbs. a year. But is this logic right?

Unfortunately, no. This theory doesn’t take into account the way the human body adapts. The rise of obesity in children can’t be blamed on an extra 100 calories a day. But that doesn’t mean small changes aren’t a good start.

Replacing that 100-calorie soda each day with water could be the start of a healthier diet, or at least stop it from becoming two or three 100-calorie sodas a day. And many experts believe this is a good start. Small steps may be too unsubstantial for weight loss, but could be enough to prevent weight gain.

We’ve been talking a lot about children’s obesity and nutrition recently, and it seems like the takeaway messages are that 1) it’s a huge problem in the U.S. and 2) there are no easy solutions, but good steps forward.

More at the New York Times. Photo by Pink Sherbert Photography.

Stickers: you can use them to motivate children or you can buy one for your car in support of a 2012 “Cheney + Voldemort” presidential run. But more than just being fun or expressing your political preferences Life360 green reviewers Steffany Boldrini says stickers from printing company Jakprints make an environmental statement.
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Introduction

Let’s be honest—most people look forward to St. Patrick’s Day for the drinking. The parades are great and pinching people for not wearing green is fun, but the event’s spirit rests at the bottom of a good bottle of whiskey and a few pints of Guinness. And Irish stereotypes aside, that’s as it should be. After all, the levity and good natured exuberance of St. Paddy’s help make it such a popular and care free celebration.

However, the greater levels alcohol consumption also make it a day to be responsible. Check out these five St. Patrick’s Day Safety tips to help you successfully navigate the hoopla and festivities on March 17th.
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