Current Events in February 2017

There are a million “miracle” aging cures out there that promise to keep you looking young forever. But new research from Brigham Young University shows that there may not only be a way to look younger, but feel younger too.

Researcher and biochemistry professor John Price explains that this is achieved when ribosomes – the protein makers found inside cells – slow down and take time to repair and replace internal components. How can we ensure this happens, you might ask? By cutting calories.

"The ribosome is a very complex machine, sort of like your car, and it periodically needs maintenance to replace the parts that wear out the fastest. When tires wear out, you don't throw the whole car away and buy new ones. It's cheaper to replace the tires," Price says.

"When you restrict calorie consumption, there's almost a linear increase in lifespan," Price said. "We inferred that the restriction caused real biochemical changes that slowed down the rate of aging."

Slowing the aging process

Price and his colleagues tested this theory in a study using mice. The researchers split mice into two groups: one that was allowed access to an unlimited amount of food and one whose consumption was restricted by 35%, while still allowing enough nutrition to survive.

After observing the two groups for some time, the researchers found that mice who had a restricted food supply were better at maintaining their bodies than their counterparts. They appeared to be more energetic, suffered fewer diseases, and remained younger for a longer period of time, Price said.

The study paper points out that ribosomes are one of the most complex and important parts of the cell. They use approximately 10-20 percent of the cell’s total energy to maintain internal systems, and shouldering such a heavy workload eventually leads to malfunctions.

The researchers say that consuming fewer calories allowed the ribosomes to slow down its processes and repair and replace pieces that break down more quickly so that the entire component lasts longer. The result, they say, is a slower aging process.

Importance of a proper diet

While the study is the first of its kind to delve into the connection between protein synthesis and the aging process, the researchers point out that their findings are exclusive to mice and have not been tested on humans. They are also adamant that their findings do not mean that consumers should start counting and cutting calories. Instead, they say that their work may inform people about the importance of a proper diet.

"Food isn't just material to be burned -- it's a signal that tells our body and cells how to respond. We're getting down to the mechanisms of aging, which may help us make more educated decisions about what we eat,” said Price.

The full study has been published in Molecular and Cellular Proteomics.

While much of the automotive world is enthralled with the development of self-driving cars, other engineers have been working on flying cars.

The fruits of their labors have now gone on sale. Manufacturer PAL-V has officially started taking orders for its products, the Liberty Pioneer and Liberty Sport.

"After years of hard work, beating the technical and qualification challenges, our team succeeded in creating an innovative flying car that complies with existing safety standards, determined by regulatory bodies around the world," says Robert Dingemanse, CEO of PAL-V.

We've been following their efforts for quite a while. In 2012, we reported on the company's tests of the PAL-V gyrocopter, a lean and agile two-seater that can speed down motorways, launch from airstrips, and actually fly.

Easy to control

The 2012 incarnation featured an advanced rotor and propeller design, making it easier to control than a helicopter. At the time, the company boasted it could reach speeds above 100 miles per hour and launch from a short runway.

The prototype could be flown under 4,000 feet in the air, meaning that it will take less training to operate and won’t interfere with more complicated air traffic.

Fast forward to today, when the company says it is filling its first client orders. The company says it is ahead of its competitors because it engineered, designed, and built a flying car with proven technologies that is fully compliant with existing regulations. It says the first delivery date is imminent.

The company teamed with Italian designers to give the flying vehicle a little style. When earthbound, the vehicle handles like a car. The company says a lowered suspension and tilting cockpit makes it feel like you're driving a sports car.

In the air, the company says the PAL-V is safe and easy to operate.

Other flying cars still being tested

While the PAL-V might be the first flying car on the runway, it will be far from the last. A year ago, we reported on the efforts of a company called Terrafugia, which completed testing of its flying car prototype, the TF-X.

The vehicle is a plug-in hybrid electric flying car with semi-autonomous flight and vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. That means you could back it out of your garage, lift off from your driveway, fly to the office, and land in the parking lot.

The TF-X could enter production in eight to 12 years but could begin flight testing within the next year.

Not long ago, milk was milk. It came from cows and made its way into the familiar quart and half-gallon containers that lined supermarket refrigeration sections everywhere. Over time, variants emerged -- skim milk, two percent milk, half and half -- but basically, milk was so generic no one would have thought of trademarking it.

That might have been an oversight, because today supermarkets are selling "milk" that is made from soybeans, almonds, coconuts, macadamia nuts, and even peas. 

It has gotten to the point where dairy farmers are starting to fight back. Milk that comes from plants can't be milk, they say, because milk comes from mammals, not green things. It's not a debate that will be settled by Merriam-Webster, though. Call it what you will, Congress is likely to wind up deciding what is, and isn't, milk.

Lacteal secretion

That's because anything related to agriculture eventually finds its way back to Washington, D.C., where you would have a pretty long drive ahead of you if you wanted to find an actual cow. Already 32 members of Congress are after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue an edict defining milk as a "lacteal secretion," not something that once had leaves. 

Not surprisingly, those leading the charge are from dairy states -- Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) Sen. Baldwin's Dairy Pride Act would require the FDA to "issue guidance for nationwide enforcement of mislabeled imitation dairy products within 90 days."

As is the custom when special interests seek to protect their turf, the issue is being framed as an effort to protect vulnerable consumers -- presumably those who do not realize that almond milk is made from almonds rather than from cows' secretions.

"I write to urge you to ensure that the Food and Drug Administration acts to solve a problem impacting consumers and Wisconsin’s dairy industry: the mislabeling of imitation dairy products," Baldwin said in a letter to President Trump. "I would encourage your Administration to enforce the laws on the books that allow the FDA to crack down on the mislabeling of non-dairy products with dairy terms including ‘milk,’ ‘yogurt,’ and ‘cheese.’”

Cows should be worried

There's no disputing that dairy farmers have good reason for worrying that their cows may soon be out of work. Milk consumption has been falling steadily for years, to the point where we now drink 37 percent less milk than in 1970, according to the Department of Agriculture. 

Part of the reason is that consumers are looking for healthy food options. There's a general belief that plant-based foods are healthier for humans and better for the environment, a viewpoint that rings true to the Plant Based Foods Association, which has issued a high-protein response to Sen. Baldwin's bill.

“Our members are proud to offer a wide array of innovative and sustainable food options that consumers are seeking out for many reasons. We reject these attacks by the dairy industry and look forward to a more constructive conversation that ensures consumers are able to access the delicious plant-based options they desire,” said Michele Simon, the group's executive director.

In a letter to the FDA, the plant food group argued that plant-based milks are properly labeled with their “common or usual name” -- i.e., milk -- and said that courts have agreed with this position. It quoted a survey by Nutrition Business Journal that found 34 percent of consumers prefer plant-based milks over their dairy counterparts.

A healthier option

While you can argue endlessly about which type of milk-like substance contains more of this or less of that, the plant-based people quote health organizations as saying that plant-based foods are generally a good thing.

 "A pro-vegetarian diet – one that has a higher proportion of plant-based foods compared to animal-based foods is linked to lower risks of dying from heart disease and stroke," the American Heart Association said recently. 

What's a "pro-vegetarian diet?"

"A pro-vegetarian diet doesn’t make absolute recommendations about specific nutrients. It focuses on increasing the proportion of plant based foods relative to animal-based foods, which results in an improved nutritionally balance diet,” said Camille Lassale, Ph.D., lead author and an epidemiologist at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health.

Which brings us back to pea milk, coming soon to a store near you, promises Ripple Foods Inc. While you might not think you could make milk from peas, ask yourself if you would have believed 20 years ago that you could make milk from almonds. It's apparently the case that you can make "milk" from just about any green plant or nut if you want to badly enough.

The advantage of peas over almonds, soybeans, and other popular alternatives, we're told, is that it takes less water to grow a pea than an almond, peas are less allergenic than soybeans, there's no sugar, lots of calcium, and so on. 

Unlike a lot of the marketing wars currently underway, this one doesn't have an obvious "natural" combatant versus a "frankenfood" opponent. Both animal- and plant-based milks are "natural" (though, let's be honest, heavily processed,) so no one's taking any bets on the outcome of this particular food fight. 

Many consumers may know about the positive health effects of probiotics. Past research has shown that these beneficial microorganisms promote better digestive health. They can be found in many common foods like yogurt, pickles, and dark chocolate.

However, there are other foods and microbes that are good for our bodies too. Prebiotics, for example, are the microorganisms that probiotics feed on. They can be found in foods like asparagus, oatmeal, and legumes, and a recent study found that they can help our bodies deal with stress and sleep more soundly.

“Acute stress can disrupt the gut microbiome, and we wanted to test if a diet rich in prebiotics would increase beneficial bacteria as well as protect gut microbes from stress-induced disruptions. . . We also wanted to look at the effects of prebiotics on the recovery of normal sleep patterns, since they tend to be disrupted after stressful events,” said researcher Dr. Agnieszka Mika.

Better control of stress

To test the function of prebiotics, researchers from the University of Colorado took two groups of rats and fed them on two different diets: one that was rich in prebiotics and one that was more standard.

After feeding the two groups on their respective diets for several weeks, the researchers introduced each subject to a stressful event and observed how their bodies reacted to it. They found that the rats who ate prebiotics did not have a stress-induced disruption to the microbiota in their stomachs and recovered healthier sleeping patterns more quickly when compared to the control rats.

The researchers say their next step will be to test to see if prebiotics can help humans in the same way as the mice models. However, until then, they say that introducing prebiotics into our diets may be an accessible, natural, and healthy way to promote better sleep and reduce complications associated with stress.

“So far no adverse effects from prebiotics have been reported, and they are found widely in many plants, even present in breast milk, and are already commercially available,” stated Mika.

The full study has been published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.

Your little ones likely have a big piece of your heart, and Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show them how loved they are. But sweet treats and heart-emblazoned gifts aren’t the only ways to make your kids feel special.

Child health experts say parents can show kids they’re loved in a number of ways, including by simply being there for them and believing in them. 

“One of your most important gifts as a parent is to help your child develop self-esteem,” said the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in a statement. 

Under the steady support and love of a parent, a child’s self-esteem has an opportunity to blossom. And when your child discovers his or her self-esteem, they are also more likely to discover their unique strengths and abilities.

Ways to show love

Beyond allowing self-esteem to flourish, a parent’s love and support can pave the way for a future filled with positive relationships and good physical health.

Here are a few ways to make your kids feel loved and supported on Valentine’s Day and every day, according to the AAP:

• Be positive. Avoid mockery, sarcasm, and put-downs when talking with your children. Instead, use encouraging words and set a good example on how to deal with other people by using words such as “I’m sorry,” “please,” and “thank you.”
• Respond to their needs. Stay tuned into your child’s emotional and physical needs and always be ready to listen to them. When a bad mood strikes, give them a hug or other sign of affection and talk with them about the event when they’re in a better mood.
• Make Valentine’s Day cards. Get crafty with your preschool and school-aged children ahead by making Valentine’s Day cards. Consider sending your teen a valentine; every age is an important age to tell your kids you love them.
• Spend time with them. Spend one-on-one time with your child doing things they enjoy. Encourage them to be active by playing sports with them or bicycle riding and have regular family nights during which cell phones and devices are turned off.
• Teach them about healthy eating. To encourage healthy eating, provide a healthy and nutritious diet and get kids involved in the cooking process. Kids can help plan menus, shop for ingredients, or help with food preparation and serving.
• Take them to the doctor regularly. Teach your child how to avoid injuries and take them to the doctor for preventative health care visits. Additionally, make sure they’re getting good amounts of sleep and exercise.
• Don’t use violent forms of punishment. Long before their teenage years, kids should be used to following rules. Use a discipline system involving both rewards and restrictions.
• Monitor media use. Start reading to kids when they are 6 months old. Avoid TV for the first two years of life. For older children, monitor and limit their screen time.
• Help them develop positive relationships. Good relationships with siblings, friends, neighbors, and other people are important. Help your child foster these relationships by playing a game, inviting friends or neighbors over for a meal, or by encouraging your child to be involved in a sport that involves teamwork.

As cities and suburbs become more urban, more and more people are getting around on foot and on bicycles. This is good, except when they get hit by cars. 

In Washington, D.C., local transportation officials have festooned the city with bike lanes and have made improvements to crosswalks and traffic signals. Now they're looking at speed limits.

Like most cities, D.C. has a default speed limit of 25 miles per hour but under its "Vision Zero" program, which aims to end traffic fatalities by 2024, the speed limit may go as low as 15 in some areas at some times, the Washington Post reported recently.

The "neighborhood slow zones" would be around schools, parks, senior centers, and youth centers. Current thinking is that the speed limit in those areas would drop to 15 mph from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. 

Leading factor

The lower speed limits and increased traffic enforcement target speeding because it's the leading factor in traffic deaths, city officials say. All other things being equal, speed determines the outcome of a car-pedestrian collision. At 20 mph or so, the victim has a good chance of surviving. At 40, they are likely to die or suffer devastating injuries.

The targeted areas, city officials note, not only have a lot of foot traffic but also have lots of children and seniors, who are the most frequent victims of pedestrian accidents.

Washington D.C. doesn't have many traffic fatalities -- it had only 28 last year -- but it's also not very big, only 68 square miles, and is loaded with traffic, much of it impatient commuters heading to or from the Maryland and Virginia suburbs where much of the capital area population resides.

Not just D.C.

Washington's not the only city actively trying to achieve Vision Zero, which originated in Switzerland. New York City became the first major U.S. city to adopt it when Mayor Bill de Blasio took office and even far-flung suburb-style cities like San Antonio are getting on board with it.

A recent article in Governing magazine reported that San Antonio adopted the program after recording 373 pedestrian deaths over a decade. Shirley Gonzalez ran successfully for the city council on a Vision Zero platform, saying that she would promote a transportation policy that put “pedestrians first, followed by cycling, public transportation and private automobiles, in that order.” 

Cities around the country are doing the same, some more vigorously than others. 

Promoters of autonomous cars assure us that self-driving cars will be the answer to traffic fatalities, but Vision Zero advocates say improved street design and slower speeds in neighborhoods can save a lot of lives without the expensive and complex technology autonomous cars require. 

Meijer has announced a recall of its Meijer Brand Colby Cheese and Colby Jack Cheese. The company reports that the products, which are sold exclusively through its deli counters, may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

This organism can be potentialy fatal to young children, the elderly, or consumers with frail or compromised immune systems. However, even healthy consumers can experience symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarhhea. Pregnant women who are infected stand the chance of having a miscarriage or stillbirth.

The two cheese products were sold at Meijer stores between November 10, 2016 and February 9, 2017. No known illnesses have been reported thus far, but Meijer initiated the recall after its manufacturer identified evidence of possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

What to do

The recalled products can be identified by the Universal Product Codes (UPCs) printed on the label found on plastic deli packaging. Recalled products have codes starting with 215927 or 215938, with the last six digits varying depending on the weight of the deli order. 

Consumers are urged to stop using any affected product and either dispose of it or return it to a customer service desk at any Meijer store for a full refund.

Consumers seeking additional information should contact Meijer at (800) 543-3704.

Classified ad site Backpage.com has a new problem. It's being sued by two nonprofit shelters for women and children, alleging that the site's owners know that it is being used for illegal sex trafficking but have done nothing to stop it.

The suit is based on evidence uncovered in a 20-month probe of Backpage by the U.S. Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation that led the online site to shut down its adult sections.

The 53-page report (available here), issued Jan. 9, found evidence that Backpage knowingly facilitated criminal sex trafficking of vulnerable women and underage girls and covered up evidence of these crimes in order to increase its own profits.

“Backpage,” said Subcommittee Chair Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) in a prepared statement, “did nothing to stop this criminal activity. They facilitated it. Knowingly.” 

“[Backpage] did not turn away ads selling children,” said Ranking Member Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), a former sex crimes prosecutor. “We now know as a result of our legal battle, based on their own documents, they did not turn away ads selling children. They just tried to make it less obvious. And worse, coached the traffickers and the pimps on how to clean up their ads."

"Millions in profits"

In one of the lawsuits, the Phoenix-based Sojourner Center charges that, “Defendants made millions of dollars in profits each year from websites that they designed and intended to be used, and that they knew were being used, for illegal sex trafficking, including of children.”

“Sojourner Center provides shelter, care, and support to trafficking victims, including individuals trafficked on Backpage,” the complaint states, according to Courthouse News Service.

The second suit was filed by Florida Abolitionist and an anonymous woman, Jane Doe, who says she was “raped and sold at least five times in a period of 12 hours” after she was trafficked on Backpage in March 2013.

Filed in Orlando, this complaint says Doe’s “traffickers posted her photograph and an advertisement offering her for sexual services on Backpage without Ms. Doe’s consent or authorization.”

Plaintiffs in both cases are represented by the office of David Boies, who represented Al Gore in the Florida recount after the 2000 presidential election.

Defendants in both cases are Backpage owners Carl Ferrer, Michael Lacey, and James Larkin. Defendants in both cases include EvilEmpire.com and BigCity.com.

700,000 ads

The Sojourner Shelter says in its complaint that Backpage “depends on sex trafficking to remain profitable.”

“In May 2011, Backpage’s ‘Adult Services’ section, nationwide, featured over 700,000 paid advertisements,” the Phoenix complaint says. It adds that when Backpage’s major competitor, Craigslist, took down its Adult Services page in 2009, “online sex trafficking declined by 50 percent.”

The complaint continues: “After Craiglist.org’s exit from this market, Backpage, formerly a part of the Village Voice newspaper, changed its online advertising model to concentrate on, and quickly dominate, the market for advertising victims of sex trafficking, including underage children.

One former employee and one current employee of Carl’s Jr. have filed a lawsuit against the chain’s parent company Carl Karcher Enterprises LLC (CKE), charging the company of wage suppression and unfair business practices, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The pair claims that CKE and its franchisees colluded with each other to bar employees in management positions from transferring between restaurants. This action, they say, effectively halts any attempt by workers who are seeking a raise from threatening to work at a different franchisee.

“If I can’t threaten my employer with going elsewhere – and taking my unique skills . . . to another Carl’s Jr. restaurant with me – then I am unable to demand as high of a salary. There’s no pro-competitive justification that we can identify that would support having a restraint like this. The only reason we can identify is to actively reduce labor costs to save them money,” said plaintiff attorney Nina DiSalvo.

Bad news for Puzder

While the lawsuit itself is problematic for CKE and Carl’s Jr., its ramifications could be even worse for CEO Andy Puzder. Puzder, who has long touted the virtues of free-market capitalism, has been nominated by President Trump to be Labor Secretary. 

Unfortunately for Puzder, this is not the first time that he has faced criticism for his business practices. Democrats have highlighted the CEO’s opposition to raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and past allegations claim that CKE’s restaurants violate labor laws.

Luis Bautista and Margarita Guerrero, the plaintiffs of the current suit, lend credence to these criticisms. They allege that they suffered reduced wages and had to work in “atrocious” conditions because of their franchisee’s no-hire policy. They say that CKE’s policies set up franchisees to compete with each other, but then restrict movement of workers between locations.

“CKE and Puzder cannot have it both ways. They cannot eschew their responsibilities under labor and employment laws by embracing a free-market model constituted by independent, competing franchisees, while at the same time restraining free competition to the detriment of thousands of workers employed by CKE and its franchisees,” the lawsuit states.

"Feeble and baseless"

Puzder’s legal defense has stated that the new lawsuit is nothing more than an intentionally ill-timed shot that is meant to stir up ill will before the CEO’s senate confirmation hearing.

“While we will not comment on the specifics of any pending litigation, the timing of the filing of this baseless lawsuit is obviously intended to be an attempt, albeit a feeble one, to derail the nomination of Andy Puzder,” said CKE executive vice president and general counsel Charles A. Siegel III.

Puzder’s confirmation hearing has been delayed on four separate occasions, but it is currently scheduled to take place on February 16.

Kids aren’t exactly known for their ability to fan the flames of romance. On the contrary, sleep deprived parents with young children might find the idea of taking a nap more appealing than going out to dinner.

But while the needy newborn phase may be short-lived, a new study has found that it may be years before new parents get a chance to venture out for date night. In fact, date night often gets put on the back burner until children are three years old.

The results of a new survey by childcare finder website Sittercity revealed that many parents rarely have time to have date nights without the kids. While reasons for the lack of kid-free outings varied, the study made it clear that a majority of moms and dads struggle to make it out of the house without kids.

Hindrances to getting out 

Most parents cited the cost of babysitting as their number one reason for not leaving the kids at home more often. But once kids reached the age of three, parents were much more likely to have regular date nights.

"Our ideal date is dinner and a movie without one of our kids having a freak out!" said one mother from Jacksonville, FL.

Freak-outs may be most inevitable for parents of 0-2 year-olds. The survey found that 70% of parents with children in this age range reported only going on dates once per month or less.

But making it to the other side of the terrible twos often brings positive changes to parents’ dating habits, as half of parents with children 3 years-old and older report making it out for a date at least once per week.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day

Parents might also notice that Cupid's arrow is a little less punctual than it was in the years before having kids. Celebrating Valentine's Day on the day itself often isn't in the cards for parents with young children, the study found.

Sittercity found that 28% of parents likely won’t celebrate Valentine’s Day until after February 14th. Twenty-five percent of parents said Valentine’s Day would be a family affair with the kids included in the celebration.

Other notable findings from the study were as follows:

• Parents generally don't find time for dates without the kids. 46% only go out once or twice per month.

• 56% of parents are most likely to run errands with a few hours of free time, while 25% would go on a date.

• 61% of respondents said they are most likely to go on a date with their partner when they have a night off from the kids, while 25% said they're most likely to spend time with friends.

What's the safest car you can buy? The answer, of course, depends on what kind of car you're talking about -- compact, subcompact, SUV, etc. All other things being equal, bigger is usually better, but there are wide variations within each category.

Each year, safety guru Jack Gillis compares the front and side test results in government tests and publishes the results.

This year finds General Motors brands doing well overall, taking top spots in the Subcompact, Compact, and Large sedan categories, with Ford placing first in the Mid-Size SUV, Large SUV, and Pickup categories. European marques were generally shut out. 

Gillis explains that the The Car Book 2017 ratings are based on the government’s crash test results and compared on a relative basis.

"The front crash 1-10 rating is relative to all other 2017 vehicles with test results; the side crash 1-10 rating compares cars and SUVs separately," Gillis said via email. Because Gillis’ rating is relative, the top 10% receive a 10 and the bottom 10% receive a 1 (and so forth).

Here are the best 2017 cars and trucks by size class.                    

SUBCOMPACT

Chevrolet Sonic – 9

Honda Fit – 9

Kia Soul – 9

COMPACT

Buick Verano – 10

Dodge Dart – 9

Ford Focus – 9

Cadillac ATS – 8

INTERMEDIATE

Acura TLX – 10

Subaru Legacy – 10   

Hyundai Sonata – 9

Honda Accord – 9

LARGE

Cadillac XTS – 10

Tesla Model S – 10

Dodge Challenger – 8

MINIVAN

Chrysler Pacifica – 8

Honda Odyssey – 8

SMALL SUV

Acura RDX – 10

Buick Encore – 9

Chevrolet Trax – 9

MID-SIZE SUV

Ford Edge –10

Subaru Outback – 10

Acura MDX – 9

Honda Pilot – 9

LARGE SUV

Ford Expedition – 10

Lincoln Navigator – 10

Buick Enclave – 9

Chevrolet Tahoe – 9

Chevrolet Traverse – 9

GMC Yukon – 9

Toyota Highlander – 9

PICKUPS

Ford F-150 – 10

Chevrolet Silverado – 8

GMC Sierra – 8

Sorry, there are now no excuses for being out of shape. If you've got access to a flight of stairs, you've got a workout.

Researchers at McMaster University say short, intense bursts of stair climbing, whether at home or at the office, have major positive benefits for your heart. You don't have to go to a gym or have an expensive piece of equipment in your home.

“Stair climbing is a form of exercise anyone can do in their own home, after work or during the lunch hour,” said Martin Gibala, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster and lead author of the study. “This research takes interval training out of the lab and makes it accessible to everyone.”

Recent research has found that short, intense intervals of vigorous exercise during a moderate workout can be highly effective. Studies have also shown that vigorous stair climbing for long periods of time, up to 70 minutes a week, is also helpful.

But what about short bursts of strenuous exercise, what's known as sprint internal training (SIT)? Does that do any good? Scientists at McMaster decided to find out.

The study

They recruited 31 sedentary but otherwise healthy women and tested the effect of two different approaches. Both required 10 minutes of their time per day over an extended period.

Half the women spent the 10 minutes on an exercise bike, which had already been proven to improve fitness. The second group engaged in vigorous stair-climbing, but only for 20 seconds at a time.

Then, the participants quickly climbed up and down one flight of stairs for 60 seconds, something researchers say could easily be done at home. Climbing the stairs, researchers found, was equally beneficial as riding the bike.

Convenient exercise

“Interval training offers a convenient way to fit exercise into your life, rather than having to structure your life around exercise,” Gibala said.

Fitness enthusiasts have long known the benefits of stair-climbing. Athletic coaches routinely make their players run up and down stadium and arena steps as part of their physical training.

What's new is the fact that it doesn't take that many steps to provide a benefit, if you're doing it vigorously.

There is even a website devoted to athletic stair-climbing, StepJockey.com, which says just two minutes of extra stair-climbing a day is enough to stop middle-age weight gain.

Before starting any vigorous exercise routine, make sure you discuss it with your doctor.

Many U.S. consumers might envision a typical, mature relationship as two married adults who own a house and live in harmony. But a new study shows that a new global trend may be taking form among older adults who have previously been divorced.

Researchers from the University of Missouri say that some older couples are choosing to forego typical living patterns for a more relaxed arrangement. Instead of living in the same place, they say that older couples that have experienced divorce are opting to keep separate homes, dubbed “Living Apart Together” (LAT).

“What has long been understood about late-in-life relationships is largely based on long-term marriage. There are now more divorced and widowed adults who are interested in forging new intimate relationships outside the confines of marriage,” said researcher Jaquelyn Benson.

Positives and negatives

While LAT relationships are more commonly accepted in Europe than in the U.S., the researchers point out that there are some advantages to the system. In their study, the researchers found that LAT couples tended to be more self-reliant – tending more towards financial and social independence than couples in a traditional relationship.

However, there were also some drawbacks observed about LAT relationships. LAT couples had more trouble than traditional couples when it came to expressing the nature of their relationship to others, with many stating that the terms “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” were not sufficient. Additionally, LAT couples had trouble determining how caregiving for a child or “family” decision-making should be handled.

“While we are learning more about LAT relationships, further research is needed to determine how LAT relationships are related to issues such as health care and caregiving. Discussions about end-of-life planning and caregiving can be sensitive to talk about; however, LAT couples should make it a priority to have these conversations both as a couple and with their families," Benson said. 

"Many of us wait until a crisis to address those issues, but in situations like LAT where there are no socially prescribed norms dictating behavior these conversations may be more important than ever.

Avoiding heartache

While some may suggest that the negatives outweigh the positives, Benson says that an LAT relationship may be perfect for older couples who have experienced the sting of divorce before.

“Recent research demonstrates that there are other ways of establishing long-lasting, high-quality relationships without committing to marriage or living together. . . If more people—young and old, married or not—saw LAT as an option, it might save them from a lot of future heartache,” she said.

The full study has been published in Family Relations.

The state of Florida has teamed up with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) once again to take down several Florida-based companies that officials say were running a debt relief scam.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi says a federal court has approved consent judgments which resolve charges that the debt relief companies exploited debt-burdened consumers with promises of lower credit card payments and substantial savings.

In the process, Bondi says the company pocketed upfront fees but never delivered on those services or provided refunds. In other words, she says it was an out and out scam. As a result, she says the affected consumers fell even deeper into debt.

'Targeting people trying to pay their bills'

“Debt relief scams target people trying to pay their bills and get out of debt and these types of scams impede their efforts, leaving victims, trying to do the right thing, owing more than when they asked for help,” Bondi said.

Bondi says the companies worked with payment processors, setting up more than two dozen shell merchants to process credit card payments for the operation. She said the defendants allegedly created these fake businesses as fronts. Their purpose was to launder the nearly $12 million taken from consumers.

Bondi says the defendants subject to the consent order are Steven D. Short and his wife, Karissa L. Dyar, E.M. Systems & Services LLC, Administrative Management & Design LLC, Empirical Data Group Technologies, LLC, Epiphany Management Systems, LLC and KLS Industries, LLC, doing business as Satisfied Service Solutions, LLC.

A telemarketing company allegedly involved in the operation has also been permanently barred from all future telemarketing activity under the terms of the settlement.

Second recent settlement

It's the second time in recent weeks that the Florida Attorney General and the FTC have reached settlements with companies allegedly running illegal debt relief operations.

In late January, Florida and the FTC settled with the operator of several debt settlement companies, resolving a 2016 lawsuit.

The state and federal governments teamed up to bring charges against Chastity Valdes and the companies she controlled, Consumer Assistance LLC, Consumer Assistance Project Corp. and Palermo Global LLC.

The charges specifically accused the companies of targeting consumers with student loan debt with illegal debt relief offers.

Millions of Americans take dietary supplements for a variety of reasons. While there is considerable debate about the usefulness of these products, consumers should always be sure the supplement they are taking is safe.

In California, a federal judge has ordered VivaCeuticals Inc., doing business as Regeneca Worldwide, to stop sellings its dietary supplement products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the products contain unsafe ingredients, including something called 1, 3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA).

Among the charges leveled by the FDA is that the products amounted to unapproved new drugs, as well as adulterated and misbranded dietary supplements.

Claims consumers were deceived

"Consumers have a right to expect safe dietary supplements," said Melinda Plaisier, the FDA's associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. "When a company continues to defraud and deceive consumers, risking public health, we will take action to protect the American public."

The ingredient DMAA has a history among athletes and body-builders. It is an amphetamine derivative that in the past was promoted as a natural stimulant.

DMAA showed up in body-building aids, performance boosters and weight control products. At one time DMAA was an approved drug for nasal decongestion, but that use has been withdrawn and today there is no approved medical use for DMAA.

The drug has the effect of narrowing blood vessels and arteries, which can raise blood pressure and lead to heart problems, the FDA said.

The company has signed a consent decree with the government, blocking it from marketing new, unapproved drugs and misbranded dietary supplements.

Benefits and risks

The FDA says taking a dietary supplement can provide benefits as well as risks. But unlike drugs, the FDA is not allowed to review supplements before they hit the market. The agency can only act after consumers begin buying them.

The FDA says consumers may take a supplement if they aren't getting enough nutrients and vital substances through their diet. But you should always consult with your doctor before taking a supplement since the FDA says many of these products contain active ingredients that have strong effects on vital organs.

Those dangers include combining supplements, using supplements with medicines, and overdosing.