Researchers tested 23 couples for the GG variant of the gene, then recorded the lovebirds interacting as one of the partners talked about a trying time in his or her life. A group of more than 100 strangers then watched silent clips of the videos and evaluated the listener on how trustworthy and compassionate they seemed based on body language.

Those with the GG genetic variation were rated as more kindhearted and “prosocial” than people with the other variation. They kept eye contact, smiled and nodded throughout the conversation and had open body posture. On the contrary, those judged least empathetic had the A version of the gene, which is associated with a higher risk of autism.

It goes to show that genes may help us judge character — and that first impressions usually are right. It also sheds new light on those people who seem rather antisocial and surly. They might have been born with the A variant of the gene and just need a little help overcoming this evolutionary disadvantage. So keep that in mind next time your boss seems uncaring about your insurmountable workload or growls in response to your “Good morning.” Just smile, nod and let your inner cuddle bug shine through.

There’s nothing nice about cold sores, also called fever blisters, and some people tend to suffer from these unsightly ailments more often than others. ’Tis the seasons for cold sores, which are spread through kissing, sharing food, utensils or toothbrushes, and any other exchange of bodily fluids. Stress, sun and wind exposure can induce a breakout, too.

But your genes could be partially to blame for cold sores, which are actually the herpes simplex 1 virus, also known as HSV-1. A new study published in the Journal of Infectious Disease found that a certain gene is responsible for 21 percent of cold sore outbreaks. Researchers call the gene the cold sore susceptibility gene one. If they can narrow down exactly how it makes some people develop cold sores more frequently, they could test new treatments. It could also explain why 50 to 100 percent of people have the virus, but only a third suffer from regular breakouts.

If you are one of the unlucky few who get frequent cold sores, there are a few things you can do to lessen the likelihood of breakouts. Zap potential infections by spreading zinc oxide on the line between your lips and skin before going out in the sun. This danger zone is called the vermilion border and is particularly sensitive. Also, know when you’re susceptible: Stress, wind and menstruation also trigger outbreaks. As soon as you sense a sore coming on, apply antiviral cream to reduce heal time. A little prevention can soothe sores until a better remedy is revealed.

But the cold reality of such revelry is that those extra calories can take a toll on growing boys and girls. Add them all up and over the course of a year, the pounds could pile on.

A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Education, and Behavior found that kids can eat as many as one-third of all their daily calories at a typical half-hour birthday party. No one wants to be the sweets police, but too much sugar is cause for concern considering one in five children in the United States is overweight or obese.

For the study, researchers observed four classroom birthday parties for preschoolers and kindergartners and took note of what food and drinks were served and how much kids ate. Typical birthday fare included chocolate cake, ice cream, punch and chips.

Each kid ate an astounding average of three hundred forty-four to four hundred fifty-five calories. But when fresh fruit was served alongside the caloric confections, the damage dropped to two hundred fifty-nine to four hundred five calories.

The results give reason to slim down school parties. Serve healthy snacks like low-fat popcorn and graham crackers. If cake is required, downsize portions and limit kids to one serving. Even better, make parties more about fun and less about food. Provide plenty of active games or designate the birthday boy or girl as the teacher’s special assistant to deliver items to the front office. Keeping the classroom low in calories can be a smart step toward a healthier lifestyle.

A study that was part of a project called “Growing Up with Media” found that kids are more likely now to be harassed through text messages. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, surveyed more than fifteen-hundred young people aged 10 to 15 and asked them questions about how often they visited violent sites depicting death, war or terrorism. The kids were also asked if they had been bullied online or through texts. The results revealed no increase in exposure to violent material, bullying or unwanted sexual encounters on the Internet, but there was a boost in texting-related bullying or harassment.

The results run parallel to the project’s findings that rates of rates of text messaging among adolescents increased 13 percent from 2008 to 2009, while Internet use remained steady at 93 percent from 2006 to 2008.

One in four who reported being bullied said they were “strongly and negatively” affected by the experience. So what can parents do to keep their kids from being bullied in the first place — or becoming bullies themselves?

For a start, lead by example and teach them compassion and respect for others. Demonstrate how to effectively resolve relationship problems with good communication skills. And while there’s no way to supervise texting … short of reading them yourself … you can at least monitor Internet use. Blocking bullying starts at home.

Doctors call this rare condition Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or broken heart syndrome. For some people, the flood of stress hormones can weaken heart muscle and produce heart attack symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath and low blood pressure. But in rare cases, broken heart syndrome can prove to be fatal.

Now, researchers have discovered women are more likely than men to suffer from this stress-induced condition.

After studying patients diagnosed with broken heart syndrome from around 1,000 hospitals, researchers found that women are seven-and-a-half times more likely to suffer from this rare condition.

The study findings also report that older women living in their golden years are at greatest risk for broken heart syndrome. Women over the age of 55 were almost three times more likely to suffer from this condition than their younger counterparts.

The news isn’t much better for women under the age of 55. When compared to men, they were about 10 times more likely to develop the syndrome.

The good news is the symptoms of broken heart syndrome are usually temporary and don’t cause long-term damage to the heart. A small percentage of people diagnosed with the condition will suffer a second episode.

Broken heart syndrome is the only cardiac condition with such a discrepancy in female versus male sufferers. Researchers think hormones play an important factor in the prevalence in women, but they don’t know for sure.

So don’t underestimate the power of heartbreak. Since a broken heart is usually only a temporary bump in the road, just remember, time heals all pain.

British scientists recently unveiled a new breed of broccoli with super nutritional powers.

These turbo-charged veggies have been on sale as Beneforte in select stores in California and Texas for the last year. Soon, they could be on sale at a grocery store near you, too.

The broccoli was specially grown to contain two to three times the normal amount of a nutrient called glucoraphanin [glue coe raff a nin], which is believed to help ward off heart disease and reduce cholesterol.

Sold as “super broccoli,” the new vegetable variety was created by cross-breeding a traditional British broccoli with a wild, bitter Sicilian variety. The enhanced hybrid was patented, with no genetic modification used.

This isn’t the first vegetable beefed up with extra nutrients. In 2011, a new kind of tomato with extra selenium was put on the market. It was touted as having super cancer-fighting and immune system-boosting powers.

And don’t forget about your superhero fungi. Vitamin-D enriched mushrooms have been on the market since 2008, helping people get an extra dose of vitamin D.

It’s not surprising people are looking for another way to boost their nutrition … because many folks aren’t always getting it from the food they eat. A 2005 study showed that many Americans were not meeting the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowances for a number of nutrients. That deficiency can boost the risk of chronic illness, including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Still, some experts said if you are going to spend the extra cash on super veggies, you may want to work in improving your health other ways as well, like exercising and eating healthier overall.

After all, super broccoli can’t save the day by itself.

At least that’s the theory of an anthropologist, who believes the move toward foods that were easier to chew had a big effect on the size and shape of human jawbones. His findings were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

To test his theory, the anthropologist studied the shape of human skulls and jawbones from 11 different countries. He included skulls from countries such as Italy and Japan, where there has been a long tradition of eating cultivated foods, and also places like Australia and Alaska, where there were more hunters and gatherers.

He found a big difference in the size and shape of people’s jawbones. The hunters and gatherers tended to have longer, narrower jaws that left plenty of room for teeth. In contrast, the farmers had jaws that were more short and squat.

What accounts for this difference? Well, hunters and gatherers ate a widely varied diet, and needed strong jaws to be able to chomp through whatever was on the menu that day. The farmers tended to eat the same things over and over: corn, grain, rice and wheat.

So while the size of human teeth has remained unchanged, the space available for those teeth shrank. That means the teeth are more crowded, which can make them crooked.

Sorry, kids. In today’s environment, it’s pretty unlikely we will ever go back to hunting and gathering. So it probably means enduring a few years of being called metal mouth before showing off your shiny — and straight — set of chompers.

In fact, more than 726,000 women who take birth control pills have never had sex. More than 95 percent of those users say they take the pill for reasons other than contraception.

The research was compiled by the nonprofit Guttmacher Institute, which used data from the National Survey of Family Growth. They found that 14 percent of all women who take the pill do so for reasons unrelated to controlling pregnancy.

Birth control pills are a kind of medication that are made up of hormones — typically estrogen and progestin. The hormones in the pill work by preventing a woman’s ovaries from releasing eggs, which keeps her from becoming pregnant.

So why else would someone take a birth control pill? More than 30 percent of the women surveyed said they take the pills to reduce menstrual pain and cramps. About 30 percent said they wanted to regulate their menstrual cycles, which can help prevent side effects such as migraine headaches.

Another common reason is controlling endometriosis, a condition where tissue from the uterus grows in other areas of the body, such as the ovaries, bowel or bladder. Some women also take birth control pills to reduce acne. In fact, almost half of the women surveyed said they took the pill for multiple reasons.

There are also some risks associated with the pill. Users are at a slightly higher risk for rare but serious problems such as stroke, heart attack or blood clots. The risk is much higher for users who are thirty-five and older, overweight or are smokers.

Your doctor can help you assess these risks and choose what form of birth control is best for you.

When rainfall and humidity are high, wild mushrooms pop up overnight. Curious pups can gobble up these toxic treats, leading to serious illness.

In general, poisonous shrooms can cause one of two syndromes. Common red ones tend to cause liver damage, which is often fatal if enough of the poison is ingested. The toxins in white or brown mushrooms often cause neurologic signs such as drooling, tremors, fever and seizures.

These latter problems carry a better prognosis, but prompt treatment by a vet is crucial in either case. So enjoy the mushrooms on your burger, but keep pets away from the wild ones to prevent a trip to the emergency clinic from showing up on the menu.

The report was based on a survey of the nearly 1 billion acres of land and 4 million square miles of water that comprise public property in the United States.

The findings suggest that wetlands have been a clear conservation success, with many avian species more than doubling their numbers. But desert and marine habitats have seen declining numbers.

The report also shows that publicly owned forests and arctic environments are home to large numbers of birds, and that the Hawaiian Islands represent an especially unique habitat for many endangered species.

Good management of these areas may spell the difference between survival and extinction for many of our feathered friends.

Both dogs and people are susceptible to this tickborne disease, suggesting that rates of canine infection may mirror human risk. Using blood tests from dogs in 46 states, scientists discovered that if 1 percent or less of canine tests were positive in an area, then human risk was low. If 5 percent or more of canine tests were positive, then human risk was high.

Such information can be used to direct prevention efforts to areas they’re most needed. Of course, it’s always a good idea to use repellent and to check for ticks after walking through potentially infested grasslands. And if you see ticks on Fido, make sure to check everyone in your household for unwanted stragglers on their skin, not just your furry friends.

But over the years, a series of rescue centers have sprung up in South Florida to tend to everything from maimed manatees to sick squirrels.

The Miami Seaquarium in Key Biscayne treats up to 30 manatees and turtles each year. Seabirds can look for rehabilitation therapy at the Pelican Harbor Sea Bird Station, which takes in more than a thousand injured birds a year. Other places like Wildlife Rescue of Dade County and the South Florida Wildlife Center in Fort Lauderdale tend to thousands of injured animals across hundreds of species.

These home teams know what winning is really all about.

Unsettling changes that can set off a stressed kitty include visitors, a new pet, bringing home a new baby, a family member moving out, or strange noises or smells.

The first step is a vet visit to check for underlying health problems. And in any case, make sure to keep the litter pan clean. If you have multiple cats, you should provide one box for each cat. Early neutering may help in prevention.

If the problem continues, talk with your vet about behavioral therapy. Punishment is a no-no because it increases stress and compounds the problem. The best approach to cats that are leaving golden notes is to figure out what’s going on inside their head so you can understand the message.

Only dogs and people develop bone tumors with any frequency, and the two forms of cancer are very similar. New research has found a genetic pattern that distinguishes aggressive bone cancer in dogs from milder forms of the disease. This gene pattern is also seen in people, suggesting that it might be possible to separate aggressive and tamer forms of human cancer.

This could lead to predictive tests that allow both human and veterinary oncologists to reserve high-risk treatment for those with the aggressive form, while treating other bone tumors with more conservative therapy that has fewer side effects. This is a win-win for all patients … and yet another way that dogs make our lives better.

Over the past 40 years, this U.S.-based testing has identified more than 100,000 cases of equine infectious anemia, a deadly viral disease. But is the Coggins test now a victim of its own success?

Because of this testing and efforts to stop the disease from spreading, fewer than 100 new cases have been reported in the past two years. With 4 million horses tested, this success comes at a cost of about 1 million dollars per positive. Such diminishing returns have caused some scientists to advocate for new strategies using fewer and less expensive tests.

Change is coming gradually, on a state-by-state basis, so check with your vet or extension service about current rules before you and Mister Ed hit the road.

In a recent study, researchers fitted 18 pet cats and 24 feral ones with transmitter collars. Even though the household tabbies tended to sleep much of the time, they roamed over five acres. Even more amazing is that the more active feral cats covered up to 500 acres.

A chilling aspect of the study was that seven of the cats were killed during the 16 months when the study was taking place. This highlights that letting cats roam outdoors is a dangerous practice.

The obvious danger is being hit by a car or other vehicle. Other hazards for outdoor cats include transmission of diseases, including rabies. Plus, their instinct to hunt can kill off prey animals that are important food sources for wildlife.

So let’s keep wandering cats indoors and keep everyone safer.

Wildlife carry Giardia [JEE-ARE′-DEE-A] organisms, and dogs pick them up from consuming feces or contaminated water. This single-celled organism settles into the intestinal tract, where it can cause diarrhea and other problems. In some cases, pets can pass it on to people.

Your vet can check your pet’s stool samples for these tiny critters, but they can be tough to find, so more than one sample may be needed. Infection can be treated with specific oral medication.

The best way to prevent the spread of giardiasis is to practice good hygiene … that includes washing hands, bowls and pet bedding.

In the insidious wobbler syndrome, horses have a characteristic stumbling, wobbly gait. Seen mostly in young male horses, the condition is caused by a narrowing of the bones in the neck, called the cervical vertebrae. The resulting compression on the spinal cord leads to the unsteady gait.

With rest and proper nutrition, some horses can grow out of it. Others, especially older ones, require surgery to stiffen the spine, which limits movement and decreases nerve trauma.

Unfortunately, not every horse is a surgical candidate, but many, like the Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, return to normal function after convalescence. So if your colt comrade starts to wobble, contact your veterinarian for a full assessment and treatment options.

Owners are sometimes less than honest about other things as well, from bathroom habits to chew toys and medications. They may fear being judged or thought to be not very knowledgeable. Or sometimes an owner just wants to pretend there isn’t a problem.

Whatever the reason, not telling the truth makes it more difficult for your vet to properly diagnose your pet’s illness. Animals can’t tell us how they feel, so vets rely on information from their owners. Leading your vet down the garden path may result in unnecessary testing, or even an inaccurate diagnosis and treatment.

So remember, tell your vet the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but. He or she isn’t there to judge, just to make your best friend feel better.

One highly trained Border collie named Chaser knows more than a thousand nouns and can link them with verbs to recognize short sentences. This uncanny canine was the center of attention at a recent meeting of the American Psychology Association.

When asked to find one specific toy out of more than a thousand, Chaser always complied and knew the difference between nosing and pawing the toy. Through the process of elimination, Chaser was even able to fetch a new toy it had never seen.

When you combine this intellect with a keen understanding of human moods and body language, it’s no wonder that dogs can enrich our lives in so many ways.

The study, performed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that one out of 10 parents is not following the recommended vaccination schedule. While only 2 percent of the respondents refused all vaccinations for their child, many said they didn’t trust the recommended schedule, and 13 percent said they purposely delayed or skipped vaccines.

Even parents who did follow the recommended schedule expressed skepticism. Twenty-five percent said they believed delaying vaccines cut down on harmful side effects. Twenty-nine percent said parents could skip some vaccinations because they weren’t really necessary.

For the study, researchers from the CDC surveyed 748 families with children between the ages of 6 months to 6 years about their vaccine choices, education, income and demographics.

The results also showed that many parents were not aware of the risks posed by delaying or skipping vaccinations. For example, 81 percent of the parents who reported skipping or delaying vaccinations said they did not agree with the statement that leaving children unvaccinated leaves them and their community at a higher risk for disease.

Vaccine distrust has now become so commonplace that the American Academy of Pediatrics has drafted an official response for doctors to use with their patients’ parents.

While this skepticism likely isn’t going away any time soon, health experts are urging parents to get educated about the facts regarding this controversial issue. You can read all about vaccines on the CDC’s Website, www.cdc.gov.

To some, it might seem like mindless blather. But those tweets about flu-like symptoms can be a gold mine for researchers who want to learn more about epidemics and the way people deal with them.

A team of scientists tracked tweets about swine flu in 2009 and 2010. They then looked at how the short social media messages lined up with vaccination rates. Interesting patterns emerged regarding what people tweeted about flu shots and whether they became sick.

For example, the researchers found that people in New England posted the most positive messages about flu shots on Twitter. This region also had the highest rate of vaccination. Real-time data such as this could be invaluable to health care workers to help them predict an outbreak, alert the public or encourage vaccination.

Of course, using social media as a data source has its drawbacks, too. The medium is notorious for the spread of lies and misinformation. It also generates a huge amount of data, which can be incredibly hard to sort through. For the study, scientists needed the assistance of a computer, which they had programmed to evaluate tweets as positive, negative or neutral.

Now the researchers hope to apply what they’ve learned about studying health-related tweets to other areas, such as obesity and smoking.

So the next time you get the sniffles, go ahead and tweet about it. Who knows? Maybe your 140 characters will make a contribution to science.

Now, the latest recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics encourage parents to set limits on the amount of time babies and toddlers under 2 spend in front of screens.

The recommendations are the result of the abundance of media products and programs geared toward babies on TVs, computers and smart phones.

Though many programs are often marketed as educational, health experts say there is little evidence that any media is beneficial for babies. Even having adult programs on in the background can prove to be detrimental and distracting to both parent and child. Though there are few studies linking media exposure to developmental side effects in children, spending too much time in front of TVs and computers keeps children from the most educational interactions of all — face to face with mom and dad.

The A-A-P’s new policy is less restrictive than the one the group released in 1999, which called for parents of children under 2 to avoid television completely.

Parents are now encouraged to set media limits for their young ones and have a strategy for managing electronic media if they choose to use it.

Instead of screens, the guidelines suggest opting for unstructured playtime that may help spark a toddler’s creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

Also, keep televisions out of a baby’s bedroom and be aware that having television shows aimed at adults on in the background isn’t always best for baby.

Children’s health experts hope the new guidelines will encourage parents to turn off the electronics and turn on playtime.

You start to worry that he’s getting sick, and the next day it happens again when he goes outside. He doesn’t have a cold, and he’s never had allergies. What in the world could be happening?

Your child could have photic sneeze reflex, a condition where you sneeze when you come in contact with direct sunlight. For the most part, the condition is shrouded in mystery since researchers aren’t completely sure why this condition makes people sneeze — in fact, they aren’t completely sure why anyone sneezes.

The reflex is also cleverly called autosomal dominant compelling helio-ophthalmic outburst syndrome, or ACHOO syndrome. It’s thought to be hereditary and affect about 25 percent of the population, although a study noted the condition may be more common in Caucasian women.

Usually, the problem is little more than annoying. You step outside, you sneeze two to seven times and you spend about 10 minutes explaining to your friends that you don’t have a cold or allergies. But the condition can be dangerous when someone is operating machinery or driving on the highway, and those with ACHOO syndrome should be wary when they feel a sneeze coming on while at the wheel.

ACHOO syndrome can also cause serious problems for folks about to have eye surgery. Sometimes, having needles inserted near the eyes can trigger the reflex even while anesthetized, and jerky sneezes are the last thing you want when there’s a sharp object near your eye. So make sure to tell your physician about it.

Sometimes, antihistamines or decongestants can help calm the sneezing.

The most important thing to remember is it’s a normal, relatively harmless condition. Just remember to say “Excuse me” whenever it acts up!

Results of a social experiment organized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development suggest that moving away from areas with high poverty rates might help people shed pounds and resist diabetes.

The experiment involved women raising children in very poor neighborhoods. A third of them received vouchers to help them move into areas with less poverty. Another group received housing vouchers for use anywhere. The last group received no vouchers.

Some of the women with vouchers used them, while others didn’t. Still, the group that received vouchers for low-poverty areas had a larger percentage of families living in such neighborhoods one year later. When researchers revisited the women 10 to 15 years later, that group also had a lower level of extreme obesity and unhealthful blood sugar measures than the control group did.

The researchers said they don’t know for sure why that was the case. It could be that the lower-poverty neighborhoods these women moved to were safer than their old ones, allowing for outdoor exercise. The new surroundings might have offered more access to fitness facilities, grocery stores and health-care providers. Perhaps healthful behaviors were more prevalent in the higher-income areas, encouraging women to make constructive lifestyle changes.

According to the Census Bureau, an estimated 49.1 million people in the U.S. are living in poverty. The National Center for Health Statistics says that the prevalence of obesity among women increases as their income decreases. Can our nation effectively combat obesity or diabetes by helping women and families escape poverty-stricken areas? It’s too soon to say for sure, but the idea definitely deserves more investigation.

Or is it? The results of a new study may make you rethink what you pack in your child’s lunch … or send you straight to the school’s front office to have a long chat about the powers of refrigeration.

A group of Texas researchers made the rounds at daycare centers and found something rather unsavory … nearly all the items in the lunches kids brought to school were stored at unsafe temperatures. Even lunches with icepacks did not stay cool.

In all, less than a quarter of the perishable foods found in children’s lunch boxes were maintained at safe temperatures. In fact, the average temperature foods were stored at was 63 degrees, smack in the middle of what experts consider the food safety danger zone. Basically, any foods stored between 40 and 140 degrees are more at risk for breeding dangerous bacteria, like Salmonella and E. coli.

Exposure to these bacteria is bad for anybody but particularly for small children, whose young immune systems aren’t geared to fight them as well yet.

So what should a parent do, short of buying a portable refrigerator to strap on your child’s back? Talk to your daycare provider about refrigerating your child’s lunch. Also, avoid ingredients that spoil quickly. For example, try ketchup or mustard on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise, which is made with eggs. Another tip, freeze your child’s juice or water to help keep things cool. And though it seems counterintuitive, experts advise against packing lunches in insulated bags if they are being placed in a refrigerator. Insulated bags can actually prevent the fridge from doing its job and keeping your little one’s food cool.

One last tip? Don’t forget the fruits and veggies. A good lunch is a healthy lunch.

Now, a new study shows that there is also a direct connection between HPV and oral cancer, with cases rising at such an alarming rate that the incidences of HPV-caused oral cancers will far surpass cervical cancers in the near future.

Published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the study reviewed data from three states that contribute information to an oral cancer incidence database. Researchers indentified reports of 271 tumors and found that the rate of HPV-related cancers increased from 16 percent during the mid 1980s, to almost 72 percent about 10 years ago. That translates to a 225 percent increase in this type of cancer.

Researchers could not be sure why the upsurge has been so dramatic, but they did note that sexual behaviors have changed, with sexual encounters happening earlier in life. Another troublesome trend is that people now seem to have many more sex partners in general, too. As morays continue to change, this number may even increase, thereby intensifying the likelihood that HPV-related cancers will multiply further.

Since the study did not investigate the effectiveness of the current HPV vaccine in regard to oral cancer, it is not known if the product now on the market to help prevent HPV-related cervical cancer will work for oral cancer as well. While additional studies are needed to address this, the researchers do have one tip for people who want to avoid getting an HPV infection and upping their risk for oral cancer … Practice safe sex.

When winter’s at its harshest, even snow-loving kids and hard-core sportsmen duck indoors. But some people don’t have that option: their jobs require lots of time outside, no matter the weather. Think of the men and women who deliver your mail, read your utility meters and direct traffic during an emergency.

These all-weather workers have more than just uncomfortable chilliness or a case of the sniffles to avoid. Winter’s fury can seriously damage your health. Hypothermia, frostbite, chilblains [chill-blanes] and trench foot are some of the ailments caused by prolonged exposure to colder-than-normal temperatures, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

They can incite a variety of nasty health effects, ranging from disorientation to permanent skin damage, frozen body parts and, ultimately, death.

So how can you outdoor workers stay healthy despite hazardous winter weather? Follow these tips from the CDC and start your safety efforts before the workday begins. Dress in layers you can remove or add as needed. Remember, you don’t want to get too hot while you’re working, either. Sweat dampens your clothes, making you colder later.

Bring coffee or hot cocoa to work in an insulated travel mug to help keep you warm for hours. Prepare a cold weather kit with chemical heat packs and extra socks, hats and gloves for days when you just can’t stop the chill. Most importantly, take regular breaks and warm up in a toasty car, your office or even a coffee shop. Make an agreement with other workers to look out for one another and check in frequently to make sure everyone’s OK.

Hang in there, outdoor workers. Winter won’t last forever.

But did you know that the effects of sipping coffee may help women maintain peace of mind well after the cup is empty?

A recent study found women who drink caffeinated coffee are 20 percent less likely to be depressed than non-coffee drinkers. During the course of the 10-year study, researchers surveyed about 51,000 women and found depression became less common with each extra cup per day someone drank.

Women who drank tea, soda or other caffeinated beverages didn’t get the same benefits as women who drank coffee — possibly because the other drinks don’t pack as much of a caffeine punch as a cup of coffee.

Other studies have found that coffee could reduce the risk of suicidal depression, type 2 diabetes and several cancers.

This doesn’t mean you should rush out and load up on extra-large quadruple-shot lattes, though. The researchers say more research is needed to determine how caffeine relates to these conditions, and doctors warn that too much caffeine can lead to anxiety and insomnia. And, of course, that’s not taking into account the amount of sugar some people add to their morning cup of Joe.

But you may not actually need all that caffeine to get a boost. One study found that just thinking you’re drinking caffeinated coffee can make you happier. Volunteers were blindfolded and given cups of coffee, some caffeinated, some not. Those who were told they were drinking caffeinated coffee, whether they actually were, said they felt happier than those who were told they were drinking decaf.

So the next time you need a pick-me-up, it might be OK to go on over to that coffee shop on the corner. If there’s only decaf in sight, grab a cup and pretend it’s caffeinated. It may put a smile on your face after all.

A new study by two enterprising young elementary school pupils found that teachers were almost as likely as their young students to mistake medicine for candy. For their research, the young scientists stocked a special medicine cabinet with both candy and medication. Thirty students and thirty teachers from an elementary school in Cincinnati were asked to distinguish between the two.

The students could tell the difference between candy and medicine about 71 percent of the time. Among children who could not read, that number dropped to 67 percent. The teachers actually didn’t score much higher: They were only able to distinguish the candy from the medicine about 78 percent of the time.

There were several challenging look-alikes. For example, Sweet Tarts were mistaken for antacids such as Tums or Mylanta about half the time. The group also frequently mixed up Reese’s Pieces and a popular decongestant. Another common mistake: M&Ms and another decongestant.

These findings were troubling in light of another recent study, which found that about 22 percent of medications were not stored safely in 24 homes with children between the ages of 2 and 6. This included medicine that contained acetaminophen, which is toxic to children if taken in higher-than-recommended doses.

This could result in a dangerous situation if kids stumble across medication that isn’t properly stored. So be sure to keep medicine bottles in a secure place where they won’t be found by hungry youngsters on the look-out for candy.

Maybe not, but a recent study in the journal Pediatrics suggests exposure to a common chemical may play a role. The researchers found a link between exposure to bisphenol A in the womb and behavioral problems in preschoolers.

Bisphenol A, or B-P-A, is a chemical found in many plastic products and even the heat-activated paper used in cash registers.

Researchers recorded B-P-A levels in urine samples taken from 244 pregnant women and three samples from their kids at yearly study visits. After their third birthdays, the kids were given psychological tests and the parents rated their little ones’ behavior before learning their B-P-A levels.

The results showed that moms with higher levels of B-P-A during pregnancy had toddlers with more anxiety, depression and hyperactivity. Girls whose moms had higher B-P-A levels had twice as many counts of anxiety and depression as boys and were even more hyperactive.

While the study showed only association, not cause and effect, it is not the first to suggest that B-P-A could have biological effects on the body. The chemical structure of B-P-A is similar to estrogen, and exposure can cause problems in developing brains and bodies. A past study in mice found that it lowered fertility among males.

But the researchers say there’s no need to go overboard and toss all things plastic from your household. Simply limiting exposure is a start.

One reason for the resurgence may be the federal ban on D-D-T, a pesticide that went off the market in 1972.

Since then, pest control technicians have used more environmentally friendly treatments, including pyrethroids [pie-REETH-roids]. These are synthetic compounds similar to chemicals found in chrysanthemum flowers. They block nerve impulses and cause paralysis.

Unfortunately, many bed bugs now shrug them off.

A study recently published in the journal P-L-O-S One helps explain why.

The researchers studied two bed bug populations. One was resistant to pyrethroids. The other was not.

The scientists took samples from both groups and exposed them to two pyrethroid insecticides. Killing the resistant bed bugs took up to 5,000 times the amount of pesticide needed to wipe out the vulnerable group.

When the researchers compared gene sequences from both populations they found four genes that were overexpressed in the resistant bed bugs. These genes produced enzymes that counteracted the paralyzing effect of pyrethroids.

What does this mean? Well, it appears that our efforts to control bed bugs caused a quick evolutionary response. Bugs that produced greater-than-average amounts of the protective enzymes survived pyrethroid treatments. The survivors multiplied, and further treatments selected the offspring with the highest enzyme production.

The good news is, these findings may lead scientists to develop new treatments the enzymes can’t stop.

Of course, the bed bugs may be able to keep up this chemical cat-and-mouse game indefinitely.

But that doesn’t mean we should stop trying to win it. After all, who wants to crawl into a warm cozy bed infested with bed bugs?

A study published in the journal Archives of Dermatology suggests that hair professionals are willing to take on the task. They just need education.

And statistics say the effort would be worthwhile.

Melanoma, the most serious skin cancer, is responsible for almost 50,000 deaths each year, worldwide. It’s an especially serious problem among Caucasians who live in sunny climates.

Melanomas of the scalp and neck account for about 6 percent of all melanoma cases in the U.S., and 10 percent of the melanoma deaths.

The disproportionately high death rate is probably due to the fact that self-examination doesn’t work well for the scalp or back of the neck. That’s where hair professionals could help.

For the study, about 200 stylists filled out surveys asking about their knowledge, attitudes and routine practices related to skin cancer detection.

About one-quarter of them had received formal skin cancer education. And half the participants said they were interested in learning more. As far as surveillance, more than one-third of stylists said they checked each client’s scalp for possible growths in at least half of their appointments. And almost one-third said they examined clients’ necks at least half the time.

So it seems logical to give hair professionals a greater chance to identify problems and communicate their findings. The study authors are developing a training module to help facilitate those goals.

Perhaps one day, the salon won’t just be a place hair is snipped — it’ll be somewhere skin cancers get nipped … in the bud.

A study from the University of Florida found that public places like bathrooms, libraries, hospitals and hotels are crawling with microbial critters. That’s hardly surprising, but this is the first study of its kind to unearth just what types of germs there are and how many of them contaminate public surfaces.

Researchers tested high-touch areas in 18 public places, including a mall, offices, a lecture hall, a conference center, restaurants and an airport. They found such dangerous bugs as staph, E. coli and Enterococcus, a bug found in feces that can cause urinary tract infections and wound infections.

Another study found fecal bacteria on more than seventy percent of grocery shopping carts. Other culprits include reusable shopping bags, airplane bathrooms and seat-back trays, keyboards, desktops, boards and playground equipment.

So what’s the best way to avoid picking up these nasty germs on your next outing? Short of avoiding public bathrooms and never leaving the house, or wearing gloves whenever you do, not much. Bacteria are everywhere, and some of them are even beneficial because they boost immunity. Our bodies house “friendly” bacteria that live in our guts and keep our digestive systems humming.

But to minimize the number of icky microorganisms you encounter, you can carry your own paper towels, tissues and a bottle of antibacterial hand sanitizer with you. Wash your hands often and avoid touching your face. Contracting a mild case of germophobia might just keep the bad bugs out.

In a study just published in the journal Lancet, those who suffered from untreated anemia, or a low red blood count, just prior to surgery were far more prone to experience postoperative medical problems … and even more likely to die.

Researchers analyzed the medical records of almost 230,000 adult patients who were undergoing major non-cardiac surgery, both elective and non-elective. In all, about 30 percent of the participants, about 70,000 people, had a diagnosis of either mild or moderate anemia just prior to surgery.

The study showed that just 30 days after surgery, those who had identified untreated anemia beforehand were 35 percent more likely to have postoperative issues such as respiratory, urinary and cardiac trouble, and even blood clotting problems. Even more compelling, the investigators found that the risk of death for these patients just one month after surgery was 42 percent higher than for those who were not diagnosed with anemia or those who were treated for the condition prior to their procedure.

The findings also showed that when nine risk factors such as cardiac, pulmonary or central nervous system diseases were also present, there was an even greater risk for sickness or death among the anemic patients who had received no treatments beforehand.

Clearly, the need for a very definitive assessment of a patient’s red blood count is indicated by the results of the study. Researchers say doctors should be encouraged to treat any anemia issues prior to surgery, especially in those instances where excessive blood loss is normally expected.

Worried about your own red blood cell count? Make sure to talk to your doctor or nurse and find out whether you need to be treated.

Serbian and Spanish researchers found that strawberries’ antioxidants and their ability to activate enzymes in the body protect the stomach’s mucous membrane. Alcohol consumption, viral infections and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, like aspirin, can all irritate stomach lining.

During the study, scientists gave ethanol to lab rats, treating some with a strawberry extract first. The rats that got the strawberries suffered less damage than the other rodents.

Though the study was performed on rats, the researchers believe a diet high in strawberries could similarly stall the formation of stomach ulcers in humans. Ulcers are sores that form when acid breaks down the protective lining of the stomach.

If left untreated, ulcers can get worse and potentially turn into cancer.

This isn’t the first time strawberries have been found to fight acid-related illnesses. A study from the Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Care Center found that freeze-dried strawberries slowed the growth of precancerous lesions in the throat, possibly preventing esophageal [es-sof-oh-JEE-uhl] cancer. In their freeze-dried form, strawberries have 10 times the cancer-fighting nutrients.

A diet high in a wide variety fruits and vegetables, though, is best for fighting cancer. Though most ulcers are caused by an infection, taking it easy on aspirin and ibuprofen could help keep them from forming. As for dealing with that hangover? Better to just sleep it off. No amount of strawberries can help you now.

A study of 6,000 women from the U.S., Poland, Turkey and Iran found that ladies who light up could forego fertility a year earlier than non-smokers. Smokers got menopause between the ages of 43 and 50, while women who had never smoked got menopause between 46 and 51, on average.

The study, which was published in the journal Menopause, also found that of 43,000 women, smoking increased the likelihood of early menopause by 43 percent.

Menopause marks the end of a woman’s ability to bear children, as the ovaries stop releasing eggs and produce less estrogen. Lower levels of estrogen can lead to higher risk for colon and ovarian cancer, gum disease, tooth loss and cataract formation … not to mention the not-so-pleasant side effects of hot flashes, mood swings and sleep trouble. Stopping the flow of estrogen too early puts women at risk for these conditions and others, like osteoporosis and heart disease.

So what do cigarettes have to do with it? Experts say smoking could affect how women’s bodies handle estrogen. Chemicals in cigarette smoke could also kill eggs in the ovaries, inviting menopause early.

Sounds like too much for a middle-aged woman to bear, in addition to the demands of work, family and womanhood in general. Hormone replacement therapy, or H-R-T, can alleviate many of the unpleasant symptoms of menopause. But if you’re looking to quit the stick, start the new year with nicotine therapy replacement. You just might put off hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings … at least for a few years.

The 11-year study of more than 50,000 Norwegian adults found that those who had trouble falling asleep most nights over the period of a month had a 45 percent higher risk of heart attacks. People who had trouble staying asleep had a 30 percent increase in heart attack risk. And waking up groggy in the A-M more than once a week was linked with a 27 percent greater chance of having a heart attack.

It’s not the first study to suggest a link between sleep and blood pressure. Researchers in Greece found that waiting an hour to snooze after eating decreased the risk of stroke by two-thirds. More studies are needed to pin down the connection between sufficient sleep and a healthy heart, but scientists think it may have something to do with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition that causes sufferers to temporarily stop breathing during slumber, and it’s a risk factor for heart disease, too. The periodic interruption of sweet slumber can create a vicious cycle of extreme drowsiness.

So what can you do if Z’s seem to escape you at night? Make sure to establish a bedtime routine to wind down from the day. Drink some tea, turn off electronics and dim the lights. Ban blue lights from T-Vs, alarm clocks and cell phones in the bedroom. Limit naps to 20 minutes, finish exercising three hours before bed and avoid caffeine in the afternoon. If nothing eases your insomnia, talk to a doctor. It may be a sign of an underlying problem, like depression or asthma.

Getting a solid seven to eight hours of snooze time will keep you and your heart healthy.

New research shows even the most stalwart dieters could blame their weight regain on something other than their willpower, or lack thereof: hormones. A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that hormones involved in appetite regulation could be the culprit.

Scientists put 50 overweight or obese people on a low-calorie diet for ten weeks, then measured key hormone levels before the diet, right after it and a little more than a year later. The results showed that a year after losing weight, the hormone ghrelin, which regulates hunger, actually increases. Meanwhile, leptin, the hormone that tells us to stop eating, decreases.

It all goes back to our ancient ancestors, say scientists. Changes in hormones are supposed to keep us from starving when food is scarce. But that’s hardly an issue in today’s society, where high-calorie food is just a microwave away and the most exercise many people get is the daily walk to and from their cars. Far gone are the days of hunting and gathering food by physical means, so it’s no wonder we gain — and regain — weight. Studies have shown that most people who lose weight gain it back within five years.

The key to keeping it off, though, say experts, is suppressing appetite safely. Drinking lots of water, eating fiber- and protein-rich foods like nuts and yogurt and filling up on nutrient-packed foods like eggs and avocados can keep the snack attacks at bay.

Experts also advise eating breakfast, stepping on the scale regularly, exercising at least one hour a day and following a low-fat diet. Remember what you worked for and keep the weight off!

January is National Cervical Health Awareness month. Cervical cancer affects nearly 10,000 women in the United States and most cases are caused by a sexually transmitted disease known as the human papilloma [pap-uh-LO-muh] virus, or H-P-V. And according to the American Social Health Society, about three quarters of sexually active people will be infected at some point in their lives. But a new study found that when women used an intrauterine device for birth control, they reduced their risk of getting cervical cancer by half.

Intrauterine devices, or I-U-Ds, are T-shaped devices that are placed in the uterus to prevent pregnancy. Experts at the Catalan Institute of Oncology in Spain who conducted the study, believe the I-U-D doesn’t actually stop H-P-V. Rather, it prevents H-P-V from progressing to full-blown cervical cancer. The process of inserting and removing the device might destroy precancerous cells. It might also trigger a long-lasting immune response that thwarts the development of H-P-V.

What’s more, the benefits of this birth control device lasted up to 10 years.

But if an I-U-D isn’t an option, there are lots of other ways to keep your cervix strong. If you’re 25 or younger, getting the H-P-V vaccination, which has been approved by the F-D-A, is a great first start. Practicing safe sex, bolstering your immune system, taking birth control pills for more than five years and avoiding smoking also lower your risk. What better way to start 2012 then by making sure you’re taking steps to protect yourself from cervical cancer?

First things first about folate: It’s a B vitamin found naturally in foods like spinach, peas, asparagus, broccoli, strawberries, kidney beans and lentils. Folic acid is a manmade supplement found in pills, cereals or other processed foods. It’s not easy to get enough through food alone, and our bodies actually absorb the manmade form better.

Experts say women of childbearing age should take a daily supplement of 400 to 600 micrograms. Pregnant women should aim for 600 micrograms and breastfeeding moms should get about 500 micrograms a day.

But what if you’re not trying to get pregnant? Still, it’s better to err on the side of caution since many pregnancies are unplanned. And folic acid helps defend against birth defects that occur during the earliest weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman even knows she’s expecting.

The effects of not getting enough folic acid include neural tube defects, like spina bifida, which occurs when the spine does not form properly around the spinal cord. Symptoms can range from nothing at all to walking disabilities, seizures, scoliosis and fluid buildup in the brain. Babies who don’t get enough folate can also get a cleft lip or cleft palate.

Even if a baby isn’t part of your new year plan, getting enough folic acid should be. It could be the best resolution you make.

To avoid accidents, children and their parents need to learn canine body language, and how human body language can be misinterpreted. For example, your first impulse when pursued by a menacing mutt might be to run, but in canine speak this says “chase after the prey.” Rather than taking to your heels, it’s better to stand still and look at your feet. This helps you avoid eye contact, which dogs find threatening.

Appropriate training — without harming the animal — is essential, so the dog understands its place in the pack under human leadership. So although we can’t talk to dogs like we do other people, we can communicate with them. And that’s the best way to turn predator pups into good canine citizens.

Through World War II, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, the brave fighters of the canine corps risked their lives protecting others. Sadly, often their reward after years of selfless service was euthanasia. Fortunately, the Department of Defense is correcting this injustice and more military dogs are being adopted.

Some enter a working retirement, with service as a training or police dog. But many are adopted as faithful companions by their former handlers, families who have lost loved ones in combat or the general public.

The pension isn’t much, just room, board and a comfy sofa. But the warm hugs make up for it. These senior soldiers have earned their spot in the sun.

Observing finches, researchers noted that the song of one male elicited a burst of calls from other males. When the same song was jumbled up in various ways, some combinations elicited a burst of calls and some did not, suggesting perhaps that some song patterns didn’t make sense.

This is similar to a human sentence in which some word sequences can be understood grammatically, while others can’t. The scientists were even able to identify the language center in the avian brain, raising the possibility of using birds as models for speech processing in people. So it looks like even bird brains can talk.

Small dogs and cats left outdoors are relatively easy prey for ravenous raptors or peckish pumas trying to meet daily caloric needs. Similarly, coyotes, foxes and alligators aren’t picky about the lunch menu.

To protect our littlest family members, never leave pets outdoors unsupervised. Wild animals are unlikely to attack when people are around. And never feed your pet outdoors. Food attracts scavengers, and pets are less vigilant while they’re eating.

So enjoy nature, but take precautions to keep you and your tiny friends safe.

These canine volunteers lift spirits, encourage interaction and reduce stress. The dogs love it too, and tails really get going when it’s visit time.

But these uncanny canines also need to be prepared. They have to learn specific behaviors, such as ignoring dangerous objects and treading gingerly around walkers and wheelchairs. A calm outgoing personality is a must.

Anecdotal reports suggest that therapy visits elevate patients’ moods and lower blood pressure and stress. Canine intuition also plays a part, with dogs instinctively seeming to know what each patient needs. Maybe M.D. should also stand for mutt doctor?

To make it worse, chemicals in plants like buckwheat, as well as certain antibiotics, can lead to a condition called photosensitization, in which any sun exposure leads to a burn, even on pigmented skin.

As in people, signs of sunburn in horses include redness and peeling. Sunburned horses are often head shy, caused by the muzzle pain. Healing can take months.

Prevention is always best. It’s a good idea to avoid sun exposure by allowing grazing between dusk and dawn. Human sunscreens can help but only when applied ahead of exposure and reapplied as needed. Covers such as fly masks also offer some protection.

So play it cool in the summer sun to keep your trotter from becoming a lobster.

Selection becomes simpler when you remember that marketing efforts are actually focused on you and not on your pet. After all, your dog doesn’t really care if meal time looks like stew or is shaped like chicken legs.

What matters is the dietary quality, which takes into account not only nutritional content, but the origin of the ingredients and how they are formulated. Other important factors in choosing a diet include your pet’s activity level and stage of life, with youngsters and seniors having special nutritional requirements.

So your best bet is to discuss various pet food choices with your vet. He or she will steer you toward what’s good for your furry friend, not the marketer’s bottom line.

But not all bats maneuver the same way. There are a thousand different species. Some fly like butterflies, while others fly more like helicopters.

Researchers have learned that the control of this aerial diversity is driven by rows of tiny hairs found along the wings. Airflow against these sensory hairs tells the bat how to fly to optimize hunting within a particular habitat. But if that hair is removed with depilatory cream, these winged mammals have more difficulty gauging speed and controlling turns.

These findings have implications not just for bats but also for the control of tiny, aerial drones that are used for surveillance.

Our furry friends love to chew rocks, sticks, bones and clothing, with many items being swallowed whole or in parts. These inedible objects often smell like food or have the owner’s scent.

Any dogs can decide on a bad chew, but bigger dogs are more prone to problems because they tend to swallow larger things. Sharp objects can puncture the intestines, and any item can block the gut. Both are true emergencies that can be fatal if not treated promptly.

So, if your chewer shows signs of intense belly pain such as gagging, vomiting or retching, or if your pet assumes a sawhorse stance, see a veterinarian immediately — emergency surgery may be needed.

The best defense against sudden surgery is to substitute safe toys and chews for riskier ones. Your veterinarian can recommend safer snacks.

Wearing special masks, researchers banded and released crows at several sites near Seattle. This ruffled a lot of feathers, leading to angry caws and dive bombing by released birds. Such scolding behavior attracted other crows to join the angry mob.

Later, when the birds saw people simply donning the masks, they mobbed the wearer from up to a mile away, even crows that had never been captured. So far, these brainy birds have remembered the insult for five years and counting.

Scientists suspect that this type of social learning may be common among long-lived species in close contact with people. So if you tick off a crow, coyote, pigeon or rat, don’t plan on getting a love letter anytime soon.

This summer, Florida fishermen hauled in a 25-foot giant squid. This is by no means a record, as these sea creatures have been recorded to reach 60 feet long and weigh more than half a ton.

The new specimen resides with the Florida Museum of Natural History, and scientists from the University of Florida have preserved it for display and study. They’re hoping to learn more about these behemoths, which live in such deep water that they are rarely seen.

Given the freshness of the sample, scientists will try and extract DNA that may tell if giant squid are all one species, or many. Laboratory study should also reveal details about the biology of these mysterious ocean dwellers. Captain Nemo would be envious.

Sounds backward, right? The workday is already jam-packed with meetings, deadlines and emails. But researchers in the Netherlands say carving out a bit of time to get your body moving can help you work better and keep you healthier, meaning fewer sick days. As part of a study, they asked one group of workers to spend two-and-a-half hours a week exercising during work hours. Another group decreased their workday by the same amount but did not exercise. A third control group worked a normal 40-hour week.

The study found that all three groups maintained their normal level of productivity, but the exercise group actually increased their output and felt better while doing it, too. Considering that nearly two-thirds of adults don’t work out enough and about one-fourth of adults are not physically active at all, every little bit of exercise counts, too.

But if you can’t squeeze in a sweat session at work and your employer doesn’t provide a space for you to work out, you can still take steps to prevent a sedentary lifestyle. Take advantage of every opportunity to get your behind out of your seat. If possible, prop your monitor or laptop on a box so you can stand while you type. If you enjoy the luxury of a private office — or aren’t bashful about bettering your health — drop and do some pushups or squats every hour. Use the stairs instead of the elevator and take a walk during your lunch break.

You’ll come back feeling refreshed and ready to take on the afternoon’s workload. And if your boss catches on, you might just get the whole office to work out with you!

Dutch researchers looked at self-reported dietary information from more than 20,000 people taken over a one-year period. In the decade following, a little more than 200 people had strokes. The results, which were published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, showed that the risk of stroke was 52 percent lower for those who noshed on apples and pears and lots of other white-fleshed fruits and vegetables like bananas, cauliflower, chicory and cucumbers. In fact, each 25 gram daily increase of white fruits and vegetables was linked with a 9 percent lower risk.

To put that in perspective, an apple is 120 grams of stroke-slashing sweetness.

The key, say scientists, is in the color. Focusing on the four main color groups of foods can steer you toward a healthful diet. Green includes dark leafy vegetables, peppers and lettuces; citrus fruits make up orange-yellow; red-purple includes berries and red vegetables, like beets; and of course, white. Nutritionists often advise “eating the rainbow” because color in the edible parts of fruits and veggies indicates the presence of disease-fighting phytochemicals.

While more research is needed, it’s hard to argue that you shouldn’t nosh on more fiber- and phytochemical-rich apples and pears. These winter fruits are perfect as a snack, mixed into salads and of course, baked into a scrumptious pie or tart. Enjoy a slice at the next holiday party knowing that a lot of fruit never hurt anyone — in fact, it could help you.

Researchers in Wisconsin set out to learn more about the relationship between toys and kids’ eating habits. Through their experiments, they found the desire for a toy — especially one missing from a collectible set — could influence children to choose a healthy meal of soup, mixed vegetables and milk.

For the study, eight-five preschoolers, ages 2 to 5, were shown cards that depicted meal combinations. One of the meal combinations was a personal pizza with lots of toppings, french fries and a soda. Another was the soup, veggies and milk. These cards were paired with three different options: no toy, a toy truck that was not part of a collectible set or a collectible toy monster.

According to their findings, the kids rated the meals with toys as more likeable than those without toys. The meals with a collectible toy were rated highest of all, no matter whether it was soup or pizza. When toys were taken out of the equation, the fatty food trumped the healthier choice.

Parents were on board with the concept of using toys to entice kids to make better choices. Seventy-three percent said they would support using the toys in such a manner, while 92 percent were strongly against the use of collectible toys in less healthy meals.

Meanwhile, bans on the use of toys by fast food restaurants have sprung up in California and are under consideration in New York and other cities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 17 percent of children ages 2 to 19 are obese. Are toys the best way to entice them to choose carrots over French fries? It remains to be seen, but it makes veggies look tastier to tots.

Case in point — the B-vitamin called folic acid. When pregnant women get enough, their babies have a 70 percent lower risk of developing neural tube defects. These are malformations of the tissue that eventually becomes the brain and spinal cord.

The best-known example is spina bifida, a condition where part of the baby’s spinal cord is exposed.

Neural tube defects occur in about 3,000 U.S. pregnancies each year. To address the problem, U.S. law requires many fortified grain products to contain extra folic acid.

That’s a great idea. But Hispanic women may not be benefiting enough. Their babies have a higher incidence of neural tube defects than babies in other ethnic groups.

A commentary published in the American Journal of Public Health suggests a simple way to help — adding folic acid to the corn flour called masa harina [MAH-sah ah-REE-nah]. In Latin American cultures, masa harina is used in tortillas, tamales and many other foods.

Previous research shows that compared with Caucasian or African-American women, Mexican-American women are more likely to consume the flour. In Mexico and some Central American countries, masa harina is already fortified with folic acid.

There hasn’t been much research on the results of this practice. Nonetheless, the study’s authors say that fortifying masa harina in the U.S. would make a difference. So they call upon food industry leaders, health care professionals and consumer advocacy groups to push for progress.

Meanwhile, if you often cook with masa harina, it might be worth taking a folic acid supplement.

It may not be as delicious as a fresh tortilla. But it’s a simple solution to a serious problem.

That’s a question that is being asked more and more these days, especially as it pertains to seniors. In fact, many critics are wondering whether routine tests of colon, breast and other forms of cancer are actually doing more harm than good for people in their sixties, seventies and eighties. In addition to the stress these tests may create, especially among those who suffer from heart disease or dementia, they are also extremely expensive.

To address this subject, the government created the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The organization issues guidelines on which tests are appropriate and does not recommend routine prostate screening or colon screening after age 75.

The task force also says there’s no evidence one way or the other about mammograms after age 74, and recommends women older than 65 stop getting annual Pap smears to check for cervical cancer.

But these recommendations appear to have had a limited impact. According to a recent study in the magazine Cancer, more than half of primary care doctors would advise a woman with terminal lung cancer to get a mammogram, even at age 80.

Experts say many doctors recommend these tests out of habit, to avoid difficult conversations with patients or due to incentives that pay doctors and hospitals for individual procedures. So the burden may be on caregivers or the patients themselves to question whether a test is really necessary. Don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor if you think a procedure is excessive. The conversation could save you time, money and a whole lot of anxiety.

A study from Kagoshima University in Japan found that 15-minute sauna therapy sessions followed by 30 minutes wrapped in a blanket improved cardiac function and vascular endothelial cell function.

Endothelial cells line the inside of blood vessels and control their ability to expand and contract. Their functioning is impaired in people with diseases like hypertension, obesity and diabetes — all conditions tied to heart disease. But heat can help blood vessels relax, allowing the heart to pump blood better and prevent atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

The Japanese technique, called waon (WOW-n) therapy, involves a slightly cooler type of sauna therapy. Over a five-year period, the researchers found that two-thirds of patients who did not receive waon therapy were rehospitalized for heart failure or died of heart disease, compared with just one third of those who received the therapy.

They also found that heat therapy helped obese patients drop significant body fat after just two weeks. It can also alleviate high blood pressure and help treat chronic fatigue syndrome, pain, loss of appetite and mild depression.

Waon therapy is different from a regular trip to the sauna, but there are still benefits to be had by sitting in the steam. Here are a few tips to keep your sauna trip safe. Sit on a towel to prevent the spread of germs, and avoid taking a dip in cold water afterward if you have a heart condition. Also, make sure to bundle up before you head back into the chill!

But you might want to resist relaxing until you’ve digested a bit. A new study from the University of Ioannina [Ya-nena] Medical School in Greece suggests that waiting at least an hour after you eat before getting shut eye could reduce your risk of stroke by two-thirds. In fact, for every twenty minutes more that you wait, stroke risk drops another 10 percent.

In the 1,000-person study, 500 were healthy, 250 people had suffered a stroke and the other 250 had acute coronary syndrome, which can be a precursor to a heart attack. The participants were polled on their eating and sleeping habits. While the study doesn’t prove cause-and-effect, it did find that those who waited the longest to take a nap after noshing slashed their risk of stroke by up to 76 percent.

So what’s the link between sleeping too soon and stroke? Past studies have found that feasting before falling asleep can instigate heartburn, which is associated with sleep apnea — a known risk factor for stroke.

Other scientists think it has to do with the biological changes that take place when we eat. Eating alters blood sugar, cholesterol level and blood flow, all factors that could contribute to a stroke.

Along with delaying downtime after dining, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels can decrease stroke risk. Go for whole grains, nuts, salmon and beans to lower L-D-L, or “bad” cholesterol and raise H-D-L or “good” cholesterol. Take a nice long walk after eating to get metabolism moving again. After an hour or so you’ll be more than ready for a well-deserved nap. And you can rest easy knowing you’re safer from stroke.

“Snow blindness,” also called photokeratitis [pho•to•ker•a•ti•tis], is a burn of the cornea, the eye’s outer layer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, people typically get it from spending lots of time without adequate eye protection in settings where UV radiation from the sun reflects off snow, water or concrete.

Snow is the most reflective of these substances, hence the condition’s nickname. Tanning beds, welding tools and other artificial sources of UV radiation can be culprits, too.

If you think a sunburn on your eye sounds pretty unpleasant, you’re right. A burned cornea can make your eye feel like it’s full of grit, a sensation you just can’t shake. Other symptoms include sensitivity to light, pain and increased tear production. That’s enough discomfort to ruin even the best ski vacation.

How does one prevent snow blindness? Protect your eyes with sunglasses or ski goggles specifically designed to guard against UV radiation. Add a hat with a wide brim, and even less radiation will reach your peepers.

Animals who live in arctic regions have something even better than glasses and hats. Reindeer, for example, can see some types of UV radiation and aren’t susceptible to snow blindness. Their ability to process UV radiation is key in their habitat, where the sun’s low position on the horizon makes for higher than normal levels of the stuff.

And their eyes’ natural protection from UV radiation must come in handy when the reindeer are guiding Santa’s sleigh back to the North Pole just as day breaks. We’re guessing a team of flying reindeer suffering from snow blindness wouldn’t be much help to Old Saint Nick.

Researchers found that of the 52,000 pregnant women in the study, those who had at least one prescription for an N-S-A-I-D were more than twice as likely to lose the pregnancy before the 20th week of gestation than those who did not. They compared each of the women who miscarried with 10 others of the same age who were still pregnant. Of the women who lost their pregnancies, about 8 percent had filled at least one N-S-A-I-D prescription. Among the women who did not miscarry, only about 3 percent had filled an N-S-A-I-D prescription.

The risk was independent of whether the drug was prescribed or bought over the counter.

But there are some caveats to the study. Association does not necessarily imply causation. And just because women got a prescription for the drug doesn’t mean they actually took it. Other factors could have contributed to the miscarriage.

Despite the study’s drawbacks, it’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to you and your baby. If pregnancy pains become intolerable, talk to your doctor about acetaminophen, like Tylenol. Or try natural remedies like a hot bath, acupuncture or massage. If nothing else, put your partner to work and take advantage of obligatory free foot rubs.

Pick up a container of salt in the U.S. and you will almost certainly see the word “iodized,” but few people realize the importance of iodine in the diet.

The body needs iodine to make thyroid hormone, but it doesn’t make iodine on its own. Iodine is an element present naturally in soil and seawater, so in order to get it in your body, you need to ingest it.

Although some foods are high in iodine, like dairy products, seafood and meat, it can be a challenge to get enough of it without iodized salt.

What happens to the body without enough iodine? Most commonly, a lack of iodine can lead to a swelling of the thyroid gland at the base of the neck, called a goiter. In the most severe cases, mothers with severe iodine deficiencies during pregnancy can give birth to children with mental retardation and stunted growth.

Before the 1920s, iodine deficiency was a common problem in parts of the U.S. and Canada, specifically around the Great Lakes, Appalachia, and the northwestern U.S. Because of this, the area earned the nickname the “goiter belt.”

But iodine deficiency was virtually eliminated in the U.S. after Morton’s Salt developed iodized salt in 1924 to ensure people got their needed dose of iodine. However, some experts are concerned that Americans’ use of iodized salt has decreased and thyroid deficiencies could return.

The Institute of Medicine has set the Recommended Dietary Allowance for iodine in adult men and women at 150 micrograms per day. One teaspoon of iodized salt contains approximately 400 micrograms of iodine.

So here’s some food for thought: Be sparing with the salt, but don’t pass on it altogether.

According to a recent study, about one-third of parents said their last well-child appointment with their doctor lasted less than 10 minutes. About half said the visit was between 11 and 20 minutes, and only 20 percent of parents got longer than 20 minutes with the doc.

The time crunch seems especially frantic when you consider how many topics pediatricians are expected to cover during their brief time with their young patients. In the 15 years leading up to 2002, the American Academy of Pediatrics added 53 items that doctors are supposed to cover during a routine check-up. These can range from psychosocial issues to the level of physical activity the child is receiving.

The study tallied up how the pediatricians did on this checklist and found pretty good results. For example, no matter how short the appointment, key issues such as breastfeeding and vaccines were brought up about 80 percent of the time.

Of course, more information was discussed during the longer visits. For example, when visits were at least 20 minutes long, the use of car seats was brought up about 82 percent of the time. When the visits were shorter, that only happened 63 percent of the time.

Still, no matter how long the visit, there were some gaps. Only 70 percent of longer visits included screening for important developmental milestones, and the percentage dropped to 50 percent for the shorter visits.

Despite what you might think, parents were pretty happy with their visits, no matter how long they lasted. In fact, while most agreed that longer was better, four out of five of those who had the shortest visits still reported being satisfied.

A longer visit is ideal, but the quality of the time a doctor spends with a family is still the key part of a successful visit.

That’s an urban myth.

But when you don’t get enough tryptophan, it can make you cranky. An article published recently in the journal Biological Psychiatry helps explain why.

In the study, 19 healthy men and women were divided into two groups. One group drank a beverage that temporarily reduced their tryptophan levels. The other group drank a placebo.

After this, participants were shown photos of human faces with expressions that were angry, sad or neutral. As this happened, researchers tracked the participants’ brain activity.

Among the group with lowered tryptophan levels, looking at angry faces had a curious effect. It decreased interaction between the amygdala [uh-MIGG-duh-luh] and the prefrontal cortex [pree-FRUNN-tull CORE-tex].

Previous studies suggest that this communication breakdown leads to emotional instability, and a greater risk of reacting aggressively to unpleasant situations.

Here’s why: a neurotransmitter called serotonin [sair-uh-TONE-unn] handles communication between these two parts of the brain.

Serotonin is manufactured in the body, and its key component is… you guessed it, tryptophan.

In other words, this is scientific evidence that hunger really does make you cranky.

So, if you expect to have a stressful day, you might want to fuel up on foods rich in tryptophan. These include sunflower seeds, Parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, eggs, poultry and red meat. So adding turkey to your holiday meal with the family is probably a good idea.

That menu won’t guarantee you keep your cool. But it’ll give you a fighting chance.

Or, perhaps we should say, a non-fighting chance.

North Carolina State University researchers originally aimed to see how kids play in order to create playgrounds that encouraged kids to run around and exercise more. They collected data on more than 2,000 kids over eight weeks of summer. But they found that the biggest barrier to activity wasn’t the structures themselves, but overanxious parents who watch too closely. Kids whose parents hover were only about half as likely to take part in rigorous play than those whose moms and dads gave them free reign. But having other rambunctious tots around gave children an almost four-times greater chance of being active in the park.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of children in the United States are obese. Yet other studies have shown that worrywart parents can even influence kids to stay inside — and stay sedentary — instead of running, jumping and skipping outside.

But until parks are better designed with safety and helicopter parents in mind, the occasional skinned knee is a small price to pay for starting an active, fit lifestyle. It’s hard not to hover when your instincts urge you to guard against harm to every hair on your little one’s head. But it’s also much easier to stick a bandage on a booboo than to undo a lifetime of unhealthy habits and obesity-related illnesses.

So next time your youngster takes a tumble off the teeter totter, just kiss where it hurts and let them play on. They’ll thank you when they’re older.

In case you think your ears are deceiving you, listen to this:

Scientists say in certain people under stressful conditions, as little as five cups of coffee in a day can cause something called an auditory hallucination.

To figure this out … and, again, you are not hearing things … scientists at La Trobe University in Australia picked the song “White Christmas,” sung by Bing Crosby.

With Bing’s velvety voice issuing softly from a pair of external computer speakers, scientists told self-described caffeine-lovers that they were about to participate in an experiment involving “auditory perception.”

Ninety-two men and women were instructed that the “White Christmas” song they had just heard might be embedded within three minutes of “white noise” they were about to hear.

White noise contains the whole range of frequencies distinguishable by the human ear.

With headphones in place and a counter in hand, the volunteers clicked whenever they clearly heard the song, or a fragment of the song, within the cloudy brew.

You guessed it. The volunteers in the high-stress, high-caffeine group were more likely to report hearing “White Christmas.”

The sneaky thing was, the scientists never played the song.

Volunteers received a dose of pure white noise, without a splash of “White Christmas” in the cup.

Before java junkies start steaming about these findings, the researchers admit the study has limitations.

The stress and caffeine levels of the volunteers were not clinically measured, and ninety-two subjects add up to a pretty slow day at the Coffee Cart.

However, the results do seem to reinforce the link between stress and psychiatric problems, and suggest that excessive caffeine use could complicate matters.

We hear that more and more often.

You scan the field, scrolling left and right, and find your receiver. A few rapid-fire taps to the A button, the B button and the back button later and you’ve made it into the end zone.

It isn’t until a few weeks and more than a few all-night Madden sessions later that you notice the tender swelling around your thumb. Playing football on a video game instead of on the field probably won’t leave you with a torn ACL or a concussion. But there is a serious health risk gamers face when they overdo it with the joystick.

Whether you call it gamer’s thumb, gamer’s grip, Playstation thumb or even Nintendonitis, hand injuries commonly occur after the repetitive use of game controllers and the strain on your overworked digits. Similar injuries can occur in people who chronically text message. And it’s not a problem to ignore. The injury can worsen over time and even lead to more serious problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis.

But there are some steps you and your favorite gamers can take to keep your trigger fingers from getting benched. First, keep your wrist straight instead of bent when you hold the controller. Try to take a break every hour or so you are not constantly pressing buttons. If you are playing games on a computer, make sure to switch which hand is using the mouse periodically. You can also add in a few exercises to keep your hands in good working order. For example, one exercise therapists suggest is to fan out your fingers and hold the pose for 10 seconds.

In short, don’t forget about your hands when you’re immersed in Halo. You may want to keep playing, but sometimes your fingers need a break too.

Now, researchers have come up with a new way to help blind people memorize the layout of buildings … video games.

At the Carroll Center for the Blind in Massachusetts, blind participants sat in front of a laptop and put on headphones. In front of them was a digital labyrinth full of hallways, doorways, furniture and — in the spirit of video games — jewels.

Furniture “pings” when it’s bumped into. Jewels twinkle and get louder when you’re near them. Doors knock and monsters, another obstacle, get louder as they creep closer.

After about a half hour of gameplay, participants were led to a building that was an exact replica of the video game layout. They were able to find exits quickly and could navigate around the room naturally, even though they had never set foot there.

The game teaches users how to move around the room and find another exit if one is blocked off. Experts say this type of learning, which builds mental images, is better than rote memorization.

The research started as a simulation of the video game DOOM, where players experience the game from the character’s perspective. Researchers are also working on making a version based off of the game Legends of Zelda, which has extensive maps that stretch across a virtual land. They plan to mirror the game off of the entire campus of the Carroll Center for the Blind.

Getting a better feel for the layout of a building wasn’t the only benefit, either. Researchers said participants looked like they were having a lot of fun playing the game. At the end of their time, they’d beg for five more minutes to finish the level they were playing.

It’ll take more study, but researchers hope games like this will give folks without sight a glimpse of their surroundings.

But what if it’s your brain, not your body, that’s holding you back?

An experiment done by the Northumbrian University in England showed tricking an athlete’s brain may help improve his or her score.

Trained cyclists pedaled on a stationary bicycle as fast as they could for about 2.5 miles. Then, they were told to race against a computer image that represented their best time.

But it was a lie.

The computer actually went 1 percent faster than the rider’s best time. The rider, believing he was matching his own best time, stayed neck-and-neck with the false time throughout the race.

Until recently, the heart, lungs and worked muscles have gotten most of exercise physiologists’ attention. But this type of mind-over-body trick shows that the brain may actually be the most important organ when it comes to overcoming an athletic plateau. Interestingly, motivations like competition can push an athlete further than they could normally go, but other studies have shown that certain incentives, like money, have no effect on performance.

In an American Council on Exercise study, trained runners drank “super-oxygenated” water before a run. The water was actually normal tap water, but most of the athletes who drank it ran faster.

Some even asked where they could buy the water.

Runners who usually completed a 5-K run in more than 20 minutes improved their time by an average of two minutes and 22 seconds. Those who usually finished in less than 20 minutes saw their time improve by about 28 seconds.

The placebo effect probably won’t be making Olympian athletes out of the average jogger. But the next time you find yourself in a training slump, remember to think positively. After all, your mind has more control than you think.

Research from the University of Virginia found that children who watched just nine minutes of a fast-paced cartoon did worse on routine tests of attention and other skills compared with kids who drew pictures or watched slower-paced educational cartoons. The study divided 60 4-year-olds into three groups: One watched a fast-paced cartoon about a certain sponge who lives under the sea, the second watched a slower-paced educational cartoon about a preschooler, and the third group colored pictures.

Afterward, they all took tests to evaluate their attention span, problem-solving abilities and even their ability to delay gratification. Those entertained by the sea sponge performed the worst, with just 15 percent of the group passing the problem-solving test, compared with 70 percent in the coloring group and 35 percent in the slow-paced cartoon group.

Curiously, the results were not as pronounced in 6-year-olds.

The culprit could be that cartoons’ rapid animation activates the senses rather than parts of the brain responsible for memory, controlling inhibition and problem solving. The result is sensory overload and mental exhaustion.

But parents can limit brain drain by limiting T-V. The reality is most kids are going to watch T-V if it’s there, so when they do, make sure they watch age-appropriate educational shows, for the most part. Like a balanced nutritional diet, preschoolers need good-for-you, educational staples as they absorb information faster than an undersea sponge.

Whether you are 5 or 15, bedwetting is an embarrassing problem. And though many children grow out of it by the time they are in first grade, not all do. In fact, about one in 50 teens and young adults still wet the bed at night. And there are many reasons why.

But first, a primer on bedwetting. Bedwetting is not voluntary. Children and adults who accidentally soak their sheets aren’t doing it because they are too lazy to rouse from their slumber.

So what does cause this problem?

In adolescents and young adults the most likely culprits are simply not registering that tell-tale “gotta-go” feeling during sleep or having a small bladder. Your body may also just be making a bit too much “wee-wee” in the wee hours. There is a genetic link too. If your parents wet the bed, you stand about an 80 percent chance of inheriting this problem.

Urinary tract infections and an overactive bladder can also cause a person to wet the bed. And though it’s a little less common, bedwetting could also be a sign of a seemingly unrelated health issue, such as sleep apnea or diabetes.

For young adults who have roommates and even looming love interests, continuing to wet the bed can be a source of anguish and anxiety, but experts say they are therapies that can help.

Teens and twentysomethings who wet the bed should see their doctor and find a specialist who can address the issue. If doctors can pinpoint the cause of bedwetting, medication and different therapies, such as using an alarm, can be used to help control it.

One final thought: Remember, you’re not alone. Other young adults struggle with bedwetting, too.

New research from the Ohio State University suggests socializing might help you slim down. A study found that when mice were placed in social environments with 15 to 20 other mice, they were able to convert white fat into calorie-burning brown fat. They also gained less weight when fed a high-fat diet.

Interacting with others and competing for food and mates — much like at a party — can invigorate the sympathetic nervous system and switch white fat to brown.

Yes, there is more than one kind of fat, and they are different colors. Brown fat has mitochondria that burn calories instead of storing them, unlike the white fat that tends to settle on your stomach after a few too many sugar cookies.

While the study has yet to be replicated in humans, there is evidence that a higher proportion of brown fat has been associated with a leaner physique in people. We are born with a certain amount of brown fat that lessens with age, but there are some things we can do to help increase it. Past research published in the journal Obesity Reviews found that cold temperatures can activate brown fat first and burn more calories.

So at the next holiday party you host — or attend — don’t touch the thermostat and let the winter weather in. Bask in the glow of good times with friends. After all, who knows, you might just burn off that last pig-in-a-blanket.

The research investigated both sensory and rational factors associated with baby fever in more than 300 college students and more than 800 people surveyed on the Internet. They looked at things like the need to nurture and the ticking of one’s biological clock — for example, baby fever could be considered an emotion that signals the brain when the time is ripe for reproduction. The researchers also looked at gender roles, or whether women felt they should bear a baby simply because they’re supposed to.

But none of these held up as reasons for wanting to procreate — or not. Instead, sensory cues like seeing a baby smile or hearing her coo sparked people’s babymaking urges. That goes for men, too. But on the contrary, smelling a dirty diaper or hearing an ear-piercing wail served as a powerful form of birth control. Participants also cited rational reasons like not having enough money or a partner with whom to raise a child.

But for women, the fever seemed to break once reality sets in and life turns into a cycle of sleepless nights, dirty diapers and spit up. Curiously, men didn’t lose their fervor for little ones quite as quickly.

So you might want to test drive parenthood before you dive in — offer to babysit a friend’s brood for a day. And know that your sudden yearning to cuddle every kid in sight is natural and normal.

You try to cut back on the calories, but something tells you it’s inevitable: January is going to mean a lot of time in the gym.

Here’s the question: When you get there, will you know what to do? Whether you’re an experienced fitness buff or a newbie, an article recently published in the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism contains information you should know about efforts to slim down.

The study analyzed the effectiveness of aerobic exercise and resistance training, two popular types of workouts. Aerobic exercise includes activities that really get you moving, such as swimming, running or walking. Resistance training uses weight to build strength. Some resistance training activities include weight lifting and exercises that leverage your own body weight, like push-ups or sit-ups. Study results showed aerobic exercise is the quicker way to cut one dangerous type of belly fat.

According to the Mayo Clinic, visceral fat accumulates around the stomach and between internal organs. It’s tougher to eliminate than fat that’s right below the surface of your skin. It’s also more dangerous because it’s correlated with higher than normal risks of diabetes, heart disease and other health problems.

The study showed that people who engaged only in aerobic exercise saw greater reductions of visceral fat than those who did resistance training or a combination of the two. The combo group had the greatest waistline reduction, but didn’t lose as much visceral fat.

Now you know how to make the most of all those hours you’ll spend in the gym next month. Just make sure you go!

To keep pills potent, store them in a cool, dry place like a drawer or cupboard, unless labeled otherwise. Although research has shown that properly stored drugs may remain effective long after the expiration date, it’s best to toss older ones if you have concerns.

Also discard discolored or broken pills, or bottles with illegible labels. It’s usually safe to dump old drugs in the garbage, but mixing them with something that tastes awful, like coffee grounds, helps prevent possible retrieval by animals or even people searching the trash. It’s also smart to ink out label data to protect your privacy.

So keep pills in their place, and save the medicine cabinet for shaving cream.