Let Go Of Some Options?
February 29, 2008
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Overstretched and trying to do too many things? For most people besides the usual family, job, house, chores etc., there is a long list of things that they are trying to do. There is an interesting article in the NYT about human nature and wanting to keep all our options open, and how this is not necessarily a good thing.
The article quotes research that suggests even when it is clearly a bad choice we will often still continue to do something. It seems that we hate letting go of options, even when some of the options can have a negative impact. These negative impacts include overstretching our time, not making decisions that would mean letting go of options, flitting about and not concentrating on anything. We have a “just in case” mentality.
Holding onto options is well illustrated by how decisions are often made about products. We tend to upgrade rather than downgrade. A great example of this occurred a few months ago. My friend Delia, has access to computers at work but wanted a home computer. She asked me to look at a website with her so she could look at the range of features available and decide what she might need. Delia is your very basic computer user. She uses the computer for email, searches, and the occasional YouTube video. My mother is much more computer savvy and interested than Delia.
Looking at the website, I suggested a basic package with moderate sized hard drive, speed etc. Going through the options presented on the website, she decided she wanted a large hard drive, very fast processors, better mouse and lots of other bigger and better stuff. The computer she designed was appropriate for a hard core gamer. I told her she didn’t need all the upgrades.
A week later she bought a computer through a program at her work. It is a very nice high-end computer. Now, a few months later, she usually uses it less than an hour a week, mainly for searches, since she does email at work. I asked her if she has ever bought anything on line. She hasn’t.
Even though Delia knew that she did not need all the options (upgrades), she had to have them, just in case.
The NYT articles is The Advantages of Closing a Few Doors.
photo credit: Iain Cuthbertson
Technorati Tags: options, busy, choice
Popularity: 44% [?]
Wow! A Fat Reduction Cream That Does Work
February 26, 2008
A new study looked at whether applying a fat reduction cream containing aminophylline worked. Participants in the study had a BMI of greater than 27, and were told to follow a 1,200 kcal diet. Additionally some of the participants were told to rub 0.5% aminophylline cream on their waist twice per day.
By week 12 of the study there was a difference in the waist measurement between the groups. All study members lost inches from their waists, but those using the cream lost more. The difference was an average of 11 cm (4.3 in) for those using the cream, and an average of 5 cm (2 in) for those who did not use the cream.
There was no difference in the change in BMI between the two groups. What changed was the waist to hip ratio, which is a measurement of body shape. So those that used the cream changed from more apple shape to pear shape, which reduces the risk of a number of diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
So amazingly it looks like local application of fat reducing cream containg aminophylline cream may work.
I looked around to see who sold cream containing aminophylline. The best deal I could find was on Amazon for BodyLift Anti-Cellulite Thigh Cream Extra Strength reduced to $8. I hate under my chin, so I am going to try it to see if I can reduce my double chin. For $8 I don’t think I can go wrong.
The study was published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism the abstract is available at PubMed.
Technorati Tags: weight reducing cream, aminophylline, BMI, waist to hip ratio
Popularity: 78% [?]
The Pedometer Challenge
February 23, 2008
For Christmas I gave pedometers, as part of their presents, to four people at work. Included were some inspiring articles about walking, and some challenges with “really bad” prizes. The challenges were, 1) who could do the most steps in one week, 2) who could do the most steps in one week, and 3) who had the greatest percentage improvement. I thought if I set up a friendly competition, it would be encouraging.
All four of the recipients are carrying more weight than they are happy with, and two have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Three are women and one is a guy, who has one of the recent diagnoses for diabetes. The group opened the presents at the same time in the department office.
The guy said, “S***, now Vera [wife] is going to make me go walking and do something about the diabetes”. My immediate thought was, “Well the next present I give you is going to be donuts”.
The three “girls” really got into it, after they had put in the batteries and set up the calibration. Of course nobody read the instructions, so it took a while to set them up. At one point, Carol wailed, “I’m too tall”. She was trying to enter her height as the stride length. The pedometers do not go up to a 5 ft 10 inch stride! When the pedometers were set, the girls were doing as many errands as they could think of, and comparing numbers of steps. They were all over the department.
As you might anticipate, the initial enthusiasm wore off. However, the girls are still using the pedometers some of the time, and one of them was inspired to join the gym. We never did bother with the challenges.
I got one for myself, but unfortunately lost mine yesterday, while walking the dog. I was in a park with narrow paths between chest high sagebrush and it must have got snagged. Now it is snowing so even if I find it, I think it may be ruined. The pedometers I gave were Omron HJ-112 Digital Premium Pedometers.
Technorati Tags: pedometer, steps
Popularity: 63% [?]
Age? Your Hands Give You Away
February 20, 2008
For many years while watching some aging, but well-preserved celebrity on TV, my mother has always said, “Just look at their hands”. She would always point out that, though the plastic surgery and pancake makeup, stretched out and hid the facial wrinkles, you could tell their age by their hands. This turned out be correct. A study a few years ago asked people to assess the age of photos of hands of persons of different ages. The participants were could pretty accurately tell which decade of life the person was in.
So far there seems to have been only limited attention in the media to aging hands. Is rejuvenation of hands going to be next big wave in the war against showing our age? I think so. A recent report shows that laser ablation is effective in removal of those prominent, bulging hand veins on the back of aging hands. Must be quite a procedure, hand veins are often pretty big. Will sclerotherapy and laser removal of veins on legs, be joined by laser removal of hand veins? I looked at DERMAdoctormy favorite website for skin products that have some science basis. I expected there to be a whole raft of them. The only thing I could find for hands, that contained components suggested to delaying aging was Peter Thomas Roth Hands That Lie. I have to assume that there are a flood of products in development.
Technorati Tags: aging, hands, veins
Popularity: 51% [?]
This Blog, Information And A Carbon Dioxide-Based Fractional Laser
February 18, 2008
There was a recent news release, that propagated round the internet, about a new carbon dioxide-based fractional laser. This laser is able to go deeper into the skin with less damage than current lasers. The information says that this laser is better able to treat wrinkles, tighten skin and reduce pigmentation. Sounds wonderful.
First came a news release came from the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern (in Dallas), which is one of the places approved by the FDA to use the laser*. This news release was picked up by a few web news services. These news services were then scrapped (text copied verbatim and republished) many many times. I wanted to find out a bit more information about this laser. Using a number of different search terms, all I got was the same copy with the same picture, page after page.
I never did find out which other places were approved by the FDA to use this laser (UT Southwestern only blew their own trumpet), or the few other technical details I was interested in. So where are the other lasers? For all I know there is a carbon dioxide-based fractional laser down the road from my house.
This is copying of copying, of copying, of web copy with no additional information. At least it can be assumed that since the info came from the (very effective) PR Dept of UT Southwestern that is probably accurate. This is often not the case.
On this blog I hope to provide accurate information and will, wherever possible, provide links to the original sources. This way the information can be checked. I like to make comments, but these are presented in a way that make it obvious that they are my opinion and are not presented as fact.
* Original UT Southwestern PR release about the carbon dioxide-based fractional laser
photo credit: timparkinson
Technorati Tags: blog accuracy, links, carbon dioxide-based fractional laser
Popularity: 55% [?]
Androstadienone, Sense Of Smell And Cologne
February 18, 2008
Androstadienone is a derivative of testosterone, that is present at relatively high concentrations in male sweat. In many mammals it is used to communicate sexual and social signals. Research published, last year, found that some women found the smell of androstadienone pleasant (sweet, floral), others disliked the smell, and many could not smell it at-all. This, of course, immediately made me think, can I smell it and if I can, do I like it? I don’t think I can go round sniffing guys or their urine (where it is also present), trying to figure it out.
Some male perfumes and colognes have had androstadienone as an ingredient for a number of years. It has been added with the idea that it would make the wearer more appealing. So my first thought on reading about the fact that for many women androstadienone does not have a smell, and for some it smells bad, that they were wasting their time, or even making the products unappealing.
However, to respond to a signal do you have to be aware of the smell of it? More recent research has shown that exposure to androstadienone in women increased the level of cortisol, the stress hormone. This increase in the level of cortisol increased several functions heart rate, blood pressure and also improved mood. The subjects in this test, though, got a longer exposure to the androstadienone and the effective concentration may have been higher. Research is always confusing, since nobody ever does their experiments quite the same as anybody else. So maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t.
I do wonder, if androstadienone does increase attraction, would it be a good or a bad idea to buy a guy some cologne that contains androstadienone? I can see it both ways. It could make them more attractive to me, but how about more attractive to other women? First I might have to out figured how the hell to pronounce the word.
Links: First study; Second study
photo credit: Ben Scicluna
Technorati Tags: androstadienone, smell, cologne
Popularity: 49% [?]
Metabolic Syndrome A Side Effect Of Cold Tolerance?
February 17, 2008
When a trait persists in the human population, it suggests that this trait is beneficial in some way. For instance why is high cholesterol so common? Since high cholesterol is linked with premature death why does about 50% of the population end up having high cholesterol?
Metabolic syndrome is very prevalent. (If not sure exactly what metabolic syndrome really is, see the post Metabolic syndrome, chew (drink) on it .) Why should so many people be so prone to getting it? A new study suggests that there is a strong link between certain genes that predispose us to metabolic syndrome and cold tolerance. For instance, having high glucose levels could make more energy readily available to keep warm and promote the laying down of more fat for insulation. However, the trade-off is that there is a greater risk of diabetes and heart disease.
If you believe in the Selfish Gene theory, then you only need to survive long enough to effectively pass on your genes. This would mean that once you have had offspring and reared them, the genes are safe and you are expendable. This theory would suggest that something that was an advantage at a young age would be preferable, even if it were bad when we get older. Perhaps this is why once we get past a certain age, we seem to get all sorts of things wrong with us. Not sure I like the idea that I am now expendable.
The study is published in PLoS Genetics (an open access journal).
photo credit: Peter.Lorre
Technorati Tags: metabolic syndrome, cold tolerance, diabetes
Popularity: 67% [?]
Yoga DVDs
February 16, 2008
For a few years when I was in my 20’s I took a yoga class (Iyengar), twice per week. I loved it and found it really helpful physically and mentally. Then I had to move for work. The small town where I moved had one yoga class, with a woman who had no idea what she was doing and was way too “new age-y”. I felt it was a recipe for some serious injuries and her babble was really irritating. I stopped doing yoga, and over the years have become very inflexible.
About 6 months ago, I started yoga again. It was more by accident than design. I got a catalog in the mail with community classes run by the local school district. Browsing through it (probably while having a “just home from work” snack), I saw there was a class at the middle school, round the comer from my house, on a convenient night. Without thinking about it (likely on a high from the snack), I went to my computer and registered. Think it was one of my better impulse actions in a while. The class is for the inflexible, goes at a slow pace with lots of explanation, is friendly but has also turned out to be quite social.
Now I am even doing some yoga at home. Not exactly regularly, but I am doing some. I was thinking about getting some Yoga DVDs and was looking at the DVDs on the Gaiam website, where I recently ordered my Ceramic Neti Pot (see Going to try a Neti Pot for allergies). They now have videos introductions for each Yoga DVD. Trying to decide what to order. Thinking about two Patricia Walden Yoga DVD’s, Yoga for Beginners and Flexibility Yoga DVD. I was surprised to read in the blurb about the Yoga for Beginners DVD on the site, “this is the program that 2 million people have chosen to help them begin their yoga practice”. Guess I will find out if 2 million people made the right choice.
Technorati Tags: yoga DVD, beginner, flexibility
Popularity: 59% [?]
Harvard Poll On Socialized Medicine
February 15, 2008
Yesterday Harvard released a report on “socialized medicine”. As somebody who grew up in England with the National Health Service, I certainly have opinions on this topic. The term socialized is interesting. It obviously was coined to suggest communism, and all the connotations that go with that word, by people who did not want to change the system. It is really a national system, where everybody can get healthcare whenever they need it.
Due to the nature of my work, I interact with people from many countries. I have yet to find somebody who grew up with a National Health system, whatever their political persuasion, that thinks that their national system is not far superior to the US. Everybody is in total agreement on this, if nothing else. Many say (and a few have done so) that if they get really sick and it is not a total emergency that they would leave the US and seek treatment in their country of origin.
It was such a shock when I moved here 27 years ago (I am now a US citizen), when I needed health care to be concerned about how to pay for it. When you are sick you need to focus on your health and getting well, not stressed out about the cost. You have no idea how different it is. If you need to see your primary care provider, if you are fairly sick but not at emergency room level you can get an appointment immediately. For something that needs care but is not that bad, you can get an appointment later that day or the next day. Something bad, you call an ambulance. Your kid gets sick in the middle of the night, call the doctor, since there is 24-hour healthcare.
The main claim for the system here is that the US has the best healthcare. Look at statistics, such as infant mortality, life expectancy, survival rates, etc. If you have great health insurance (as I do) then the care is reasonably good; but for many people not so good.
What about waiting times? This depends on what you are waiting for. In the UK, if you have something that needs treatment but is not a serious health concern such as bunion surgery, yes, unfortunately you will wait quite a while. Have something serious, you are admitted and treated immediately.
Not only is care for the masses inferior, but also the cost is higher. The US government in 2001 spent 13.9% of GDP on healthcare. Japan spent 7.8%, and the UK spent 7.6%. If nothing else a national health service would save the country a lot of money.
The sad thing in the UK is that the government is moving towards the US system. Parts of the system are being privatized. or place in control of charities. The charities are technically non-profit, but seem to be, for the most part, cash cows for those who run them. A great system is starting to fall apart. I am sure in a decade it will be a terrible mess.
The Harvard Report can be viewed here.
Technorati Tags: socialized medicine, national health service, poll, Harvard
Popularity: 45% [?]
Keeping Your Relationship Fresh
February 14, 2008
Today is Valentines Day. I am going with some friends (female) to see the Vagina Monologues, being put on as part of a V-day related campaign to stop violence against women and girls. The friends I am going with are married but are not (at least they claim) to be at-all romantic. Since I am currently single V-day does not have much meaning.
If I were still in a long-term relationship, then the classic meal, flowers, jewelry etc. would perhaps not be the best thing anyway. Research that was discussed in the NYT, suggests that to keep or help re-ignite the interest in a long-term relationship, you need to do different things. The idea is not to do wild and crazy things like base jumping, unless that is what you really want to do. But to do new things that are different and interesting and get shared new experiences. It could be trying Fillipino food or taking a ballroom dancing class. Looking back on my marriage and subsequent very long-term relationship, I can see that this would have helped both of them. Changed the outcomes? Maybe not; but it sure as hell would have made the later stages more interesting.
Interestingly doing new things, floods the brain some of the same neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine, that flood the brain when we are in the first flushes of a new relationship. Makes sense. As the article says high levels of these neurotransmitters are also present in drug addiction (surprise, surprise) and in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). One of the friends I am going with has quite severe OCD. Perhaps all that neurotransmitter is used for the OCD and none is left for romance.
Technorati Tags: valentines day, neurotransmitter, romance
Popularity: 46% [?]
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