Current Events in July 2017

Parents may remember telling their children when they were younger to drink their milk and eat their vegetables so that they can grow up big and strong. But one recent study shows that it’s especially important for older teens to follow a proper diet and take part in physical activities to encourage bone growth.

Researchers from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – along with colleagues from Ohio, Nebraska, New York, and California – have found that the late adolescent years are a key time for bone growth, even after a teen has reached their full height.

"We often think of a child's growth largely with respect to height, but overall bone development is also important," said lead author Dr. Shana E. McCormack. "This study shows that roughly 10 percent of bone mass continues to accumulate after a teenager reaches his or her adult height."

Encouraging healthy behaviors

Using data from the NIH’s Bone Mineral Density in Childhood Study (BMDCS), the researchers found that bones develop at different rates in different parts of the skeleton. According to co-author Dr. Babette S. Zemel, these growth rates are affected by a number of factors, including race.

"We…showed that growth events peak earlier in African-American adolescents than in non-African-American adolescents. When healthcare providers interpret data such as bone density in their patients, they should take into account these patterns in growth trajectories," she said.

McCormack adds that the findings are especially important since late adolescence is a time when many teens adopt more risky behaviors and habits, such as smoking and drinking alcohol. She suggests that parents and caregivers encourage healthier behaviors during this phase of life to avoid bone-related health complications down the road.

"We've known for a long time that maximizing bone health in childhood and adolescence protects people from osteoporosis later in life," said Zemel. "This study reinforces that understanding, and suggests that late adolescence may be an underrecognized period to intervene in this important area of public health."

The full study has been published in Jama Pediatrics.

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 24,754 model year 2016-2017 Audi Q3s.

If the parking brake is used during emergency braking, the brake lights on the vehicle will not activate.

As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

A vehicle approaching from behind may not have any warning that the vehicle is stopping, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in July 2017.

Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 45G6.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a $104 million settlement with a lead generation business on Wednesday over charges that it misled consumers and unlawfully shared and sold consumers’ private information.

The original complaint alleged that Blue Global, LLC had consumers fill out loan applications that it then sold to other entities as “leads.” FTC officials said that CEO Christopher Kay ran dozens of websites that operated in this manner and gave no consideration to where the information ultimately ended up.

“Defendants shared loan applications with and sold them to other entities without regard to loan terms, whether the other entity was a lender, or whether the other entity secured the application data in any fashion,” the complaint said.

Selling private information

The FTC further alleged that Blue Global made several false promises to consumers who filled out loan applications. According to the complaint, consumers were told that the information in their loan application would help the company find a loan with the lowest interest rate and other favorable terms, as well as help match applicants to a lender selected from a network of 100 or more loan providers.

Additionally, Blue Global allegedly told applicants that they were “very likely” to receive a loan by completing the online application and that the information they provided would “always be safe and secure” because it was only shared with “trusted lending partners.”

However, the FTC alleged that the company provided the sensitive information to any potential buyer without the knowledge or consent of the applicant. The complaint also says that Kay and his company did nothing to investigate or take preventative actions when confronted by affected consumers.

Settlement terms

Under the terms of the settlement, the defendants are barred from misrepresenting that they can assist consumers with getting favorable loan rates or terms. They must also ensure that personal information collected from consumers is protected and secured in the future.

The defendants must also investigate and verify the identity of businesses that they give consumer information to and obtain consent from consumers before doing so. The $104 million judgment against Blue Global will be suspended based on its inability to pay.