Sure, I watch what I eat – but I’ll do it on my time & my watch. Though initially appreciative of the health-care overhaul enacted in March that had restaurants post calories, resentment started creeping in on the very rare occasions I was about to succumb. One chocolate chip cookie with my Dunkin Donuts coffee would certainly not wreak havoc on this body… until, I espied the 600 plus calories affixed to that slot.

I know. An airplane is the last place you want their food offerings, but I wish Big Brother would keep its elbows out of my less than roomy aisle seat!

Health advocates say the change could be a powerful tool in fighting the obesity epidemic, a top initiative in Washington since first lady Michelle Obama made childhood obesity her signature cause in February.

Come to think of it…Michelle can stay away too!

If you are a Mad Men fan, you watched this week as two advertisers debated how best to sell Pond’s Cold Cream.  Although the client said they were interested in appealing to younger women the veteran ad guy wanted to use “dames” from the movies in their ads – Barbara Stanwyck or someone similar – utilizing the argument that young women look up to older women.  His backup plan was to promise that either a) Girls who used Pond’s would land a husband or b) Girls who didn’t wouldn’t.

The female copywriter felt strongly that he was on the wrong track.  I would have to agree.

Clearly things were a little different in the early 60s because these days, we are constantly presented with images of barely-adult girls showing us how wrinkle free, flat bellied and fabulous we could be if we only used the latest greatest youth elixir.

Or, maybe they are wrinkle free and fabulous because they are 17.  Just saying.

So do younger women want to be older? Or do older women want to be younger?

The answer is both and neither.

Younger women want to revel in their youth, even while they look forward to their adulthood.  They want more responsibility – but only the responsibilities they want.  They want to be taken seriously, but not too seriously.

Older woman look back fondly on their youth, but most don’t want to go back there.  Wouldn’t go back there on a bet.  They want to look like they did when they were younger, but keep all of the knowledge and experience they have gained along the way.  They love the richness of what they have experienced, but want to remember (at least sort of) what it was like to be wide-eyed and ready to take on the world.

They want similar things, but they want them in entirely different ways.

I recently read this fascinating article that talked about how assuming that 50 year-olds want to be 30 year-olds is a huge mistake.  Many of us may want to look and feel like 30 year-olds.  But we don’t particularly want to act or think like them.

One of my friends jokes with her 4-year-old daughter she is going to trade her in for two 2-year-olds.  Targeting 25 year-olds to appeal to 50 year-olds makes just about the same amount of sense.

The best way to reach either of these audiences is to reinforce what is great about how they are right now and how your product can make the most of that.  Don’t assume that one group aspires to be the other and that a single message will reach both.

Of course, that long and healthy life comes along with a hefty price tag in terms of medical care and prescription drugs.  Alas, there is no proverbial free lunch here.  But the extra years are a nice bonus!

The report, called “Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being,” looked at 37 health indicators, including economic status, income, housing, illness, and physical activity in people over age 65.  Data for the study came from a variety of government agencies, including the National Institute on Aging, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

A few of the key findings of the report include:

• Seniors with no chronic health conditions spend about $5,000 a year on health care, while those living with multiple chronic health conditions are spending closer to $25,000 per year.
• Luckily only about 5% of seniors report that they delay getting medical care due to costs, and less than 3% report difficulty getting care.
• The largest component of healthcare costs was hospital and physician spending, following by long-term care facilities, then prescription drug cost.
• Prescription costs for seniors increased from about $600 in 1992 t o over $2000 in 2004.  By 2006 more than half of out of pocket health spending for seniors was for prescriptions.
• Seniors report slightly more hospitalizations, but shorter in-patient stays.  They also say they are visiting the doctor’s office slightly more frequently.

The good news is that a person who is 65 today can expect to live until about 83, four years longer than life expectancy in the 1960s.  And those four years are likely to be better ones as functional limitations are less problematic and health later in life is improving all the time.

All of this adds up to more motivation than ever to fund your retirement account!  Your years may be long, but those bills might be high!  Plan now and you’ll be able to make the most of the extra time later!

Now in the latest, “Health Findings You Can’t Do Anything About” News, comes evidence that those with large heads are less likely to suffer the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease, ostensibly because they possess a vast storehouse of spare brain cells.

This is great news if you have a freakishly large head.  Sure, it makes makes wearing a stylish hat all but an impossibility, but now you can rest assured that your brain has potentially been stockpiling cells for later in life when you need a few extras.  Lucky you!

However, for those of you with normally proportioned heads, this news is of little value as there is essentially nothing you can do to change the size of your brain or the number of cells piled up in there.  No brain-building exercise machine that will be offered on late night television.  No neuron multiplication diet that will bulk up your cerebellum.

Most brain growth occurs before the age of 6.  Any differential in growing that storeroom of spare cells would need to be accomplished in the pre-school years.  Factors leading to optimal brain growth would include genetics, nutrition, general good health, and avoiding injury.

The average head circumference is 56 centimeters (and the weight of the average human head is 8 pounds – thank you, “Jerry MacGuire”).  A head bigger than the average could be less impacted by brain atrophy, while smaller brains with less grey matter to spare might be more susceptible to damage.

Excuse me while I go find my tape measure, I want to see how big my extra stash of memory is!  How do you measure up?

A National Joint Replacement Registry helps reduce the rate of failed procedures by keeping a database of information that keys in surgeons to problematic implants, and provides insight as to how to avoid mess ups. According to Dr. Daniel Berry, chief of orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn,  “Every country that has developed a registry has been able to reduce failure rates significantly.”  Sweden is one case in point.

The newly formed American Joint Replacement Registry is still in its nascent stage and has started collecting data. Its goal is to improve the quality, outcomes, and cost-effectiveness of total joint replacement (TJR) surgeries through the achievement of four objectives:

1. Establish an infrastructure and a uniform system for the collecting device information and monitoring outcomes of TJR throughout the U.S.;

2. Identify patients who may need follow-up evaluation thereby increasing patient safety;

3. Create real-time survivorship curve in order to detect poorly performing implants;

4. Establish a uniform system that can be used to define the epidemiology of TJR for outcomes research to improve the quality and outcomes of patient care.

Until we have access to solid facts from the U.S. Registry, there are some proactive steps you can take if you are in the market for a new joint.

– Go with a highly experienced surgeon in a busy hospital; don’t look for the best deal. Ask for recommendations. A 2004 study published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery found that patients receiving knee replacements from doctors who performed more than 50 of the procedures a year had fewer complications than patients whose surgeons did 12 procedures or fewer a year.

A similar trend was documented with hospital volume. Patients at hospitals that performed more than 200 knee replacements a year fared better than patients at hospitals that performed 25 or fewer.

– A joint replacement is not for everyone. Some arthritic problems are better served with medication, and surgery may be too risky for those who have uncontrolled high blood pressure or another serious chronic condition.

– Research the joint implant that your surgeon recommends. Find out how well it has performed in others and if there are known complications. Some implants are somewhat controversial and may cause tissue and bone damage; newer doesn’t necessarily mean better. If the hospital has its own registry, ask to review the data.

– Educate yourself as to what the surgery entails. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeon’s patient information Web site, orthoinfo.org is very helpful.

– Prepare your recovery in advance. Arrange for the necessary support upon your return home, and make sure you have all the help you need. It is crucial not to overexert yourself during your initial healing period.

Of course none of us really wants to be either of those things.  We want to be brilliant and stunningly beautiful.  And rich.  And happy.  And living on an island with a cabana boy named Juan who fulfills our every desire…

Maybe that part is just me.

We have all been lead to believe that we should want it all and that we can get it all and if we don’t want and have it all, there is something wrong with us.  However, I now have some scientific proof that the choice between brains and beauty is more real than you may have thought!

In late April, the Wall Street Journal published an article, entitled “A Case for those Extra 10 Pounds”, that said that, while the recommendations are to control calories and make healthy diet choices, it seems that there is actually some benefit that comes from being 10-15 pounds overweight.  A little extra weight can lead to a lower risk of osteoporosis and even make you look younger.

Bring on the ice cream!

Just as I was really settling into my celebration of the joys of science, a new study came out that says that extra fat is linked to smaller brain volume, and potentially linked to Alzheimer’s Disease.  Lucky for me and my desire to continue to eat ice cream, it is unclear whether smaller brains lead to extra fat or vice versa.  I am pulling for the first one.  The idea of fat causing my brain to shrink is disturbing in more ways than one.

So extra fat causes Alzheimer’s, and too little fat causes osteoporosis.  A little extra fat will keep my face unlined and youthfully full, but may cause me to eventually forget my name. Am I willing to give up the ice cream to reduce the risk of dementia?

Is it wrong that I am not sure which way to go on this?

Tylenol has a long history of bumps in the road, starting with drug-tampering problems back in 1982, which resulted in the brand being held up as an example of what to do when disaster strikes your product.  Take responsibility.  Take Action.  Don’t make excuses.

The public was reassured by how the Tylenol scare was handled and sales eventually returned to the brand.  Tylenol came to mean a trusted and safe product once again.  And in a market with unimaginable generic competition, that trust went a long way toward making consumers feel like the branded choice was the right choice.

More recent troubles, however, cannot be blamed on nameless and faceless culprits who are threatening the safety of the American public.  This time the responsibility for manufacturing irregularities fall solidly in the lap of McNeil.  There is no denying that they must take responsibility, there is nowhere else to put it.  But the public is not so quick to forgive this time.

Part of the difference is that this time McNeil is truly to blame for the issue.  And the other part of the difference comes from how the world has changed in those intervening 28 years.  In the world of 1982, the news of the recall and corrective action came through formal channels and gossip about the problem was contained within neighborhoods.  In the world of 2010, news of the recall hit Twitter and Facebook long before it made the front pages of the newspaper or local news broadcasts.  Along with the immediacy of informing the public, McNeil was unable to control the message, and unprepared to deal with the fallout.  Their customer service resources were inadequate, their recall website not up to date, their response times were not up to snuff.

So now, in addition to being worried about the threat that recalled medications might hold for their families, people are angry that McNeil isn’t managing the situation as well as they could.  The brand is breaking.

As the process of restocking medicine cabinets with generic versions of McNeil’s recalled drugs is documented in minute detail via social media networks, more and more people see that generics offer safe, cost-effective alternatives to the branded drugs.  The more social proof that consumers see that the generics are just as effective, the more likely they will be to continue to eschew the branded products.  There is no upside of going back to Tylenol or Benedryl.  Those names are tainted with both the manufacturing issues (real or imagined, it makes no difference) and the customer service disappointments.

The bar for what consumers expect from a generic drug is much lower.  Does it work?  Does it cost less than the branded product?  Is it safe?  Customer service and advertising and image don’t enter into the equation for these purposes.

By dropping the ball so many times, McNeil is training consumers to be satisfied with a less impressive package.  It will be interesting to see if they are able to resolve and recover from this current crisis situation.  As surprised as I am to say this, my bets in this case are against the brand.

A New York Times review of the new book The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain caught my eye a week or so ago, and the author, Barbara Straunch, had some interesting insights to share relative to what middle-aged brains are actually good at, and how to keep our brains functioning well into the future.

• Our brains are still growing and developing far into adulthood.  Although we do have some compromises in short term memory (Where are my keys anyway? And what is your name?), the middle-aged brain is actually better in many ways than at any other point in our lives.

• Logic, creativity and social skills are all at a high point during those middle years.  Although you might not remember the name of the person to whom you are speaking, you will be an excellent judge of his character.

• We do not, as previously thought, actually lose brain cells as we age.

• Exercise and diet recommendations that benefit your heart are also likely to benefit the health of your brain.  Exercise in particular can actually help strengthen and grow your brain.  So get out there and start moving!

• Although there are benefits to making your brain work hard, crossword puzzles and learning a foreign language hold no particular magic powers in terms of maintaining the health of your brain.  Partaking in vigorous debates on subjects of interest can be just as helpful, so unless you just love the Sunday Times crossword puzzle, you can stop doing it!

• Meeting and engaging with people is healthy for your brain, and your mood!

It is so refreshing to hear that middle age is not necessarily the beginning of a slow slide into senility.  Staying engaged and active in life, both in terms of intellectual pursuits and social involvement, seems to be key to keeping your gray matter from graying.

I am hopeful that by maintaining an active life filled with fulfilling relationships, creative pursuits and lively conversation, I can remain one less consumer of Long Term Care services in New York!

Although un-hip, I am quite interested in doing things to keep myself and my family healthy.  I try mightily to get my children to willingly eat vegetables. I don’t cook red meat. I choose fresh ingredients rather than food-in-a-box whenever possible.  I am embarking on an experiment to be a vegetarian, and I recently gave up caffeine for a month.  I am willing to try new things – within reason.

There was a recent article in the New York Times about the popularity of a fermented tea drink called kombucha.  Apparently this tea can do all kinds of magical things like re-growing hair, calming digestive issues and curing hangovers.  Those who drink it claim that it is quite delish.  Sounds good, right?  I’m in! I could be the first one in the suburbs to partake of this delightful elixir!  How do I get it?

This is where things get a little hairy for me.  Because kombucha is made by immersing a disk of bacteria into brewed tea and letting it sit, unrefrigerated, for up to two weeks.

A disk of bacteria.

In your tea.

On purpose.

I am so not down with that.

I understand the benefits of probiotics.  I eat yogurt (from the refrigerator, thank you very much).  But, I have to admit that I wouldn’t even drink the plain tea if it sat out for two weeks – and the introduction of the bacteria disk into the equation does nothing to improve the situation for me.

I suppose the nature of kombucha is essentially similar to beer.  Fermented substances in a drink are not that uncommon.  And yet, I can’t quite get my head around voluntarily introducing bacteria into a completely acceptable drink like tea.  I guess I don’t brew my own beer either, although I do enjoy drinking it.

There are packaged versions of kombucha available, including one made by Red Bull.  I am slightly more comfortable with the manufactured versions, mostly because I work under the assumption that beverage manufacturers are as terrified of being sued as I am of dying of kombucha poisoning.

I am a big sucker for slick marketing and putting anything, even something utterly disgusting, in a pretty bottle and giving it a fun name goes a long way to drawing my interest.  If I actually went out and purchased a Carpe Diem Kombucha, it would be an ultimate marking success for them.

Ooooo…pretty bottle….fancy name…who cares what’s in it?  I must have it!

I want to be cool and brave enough to jump on this bandwagon and give kombucha a try.  But the reality is that it’s probably beyond my capabilities to be that cool and brave.  And the Dunkin’ Donuts coffee is working just fine for me, thanks!

Dr. Berry’s findings, presented last week in San Francisco at the American Heart Association’s Annual Epidemiology and Prevention Conference, are based on an analysis of 1,765 men and women who had physical examinations performed during the 1970’s and 1980’s at the Cooper Institute, the Dallas-based birthplace of the aerobics movement. Put another way: If you’re not fit in your 50’s, your projected life span “is eight years shorter than if you are fit,” Dr. Berry says.

So regular exercise is the most cogent weapon we have to ward off illness and fight disease- as it results in lower blood pressure, healthier cholesterol, and lower blood sugar.

Rest assured… there is a silver lining to all this before you start jogging, digging ditches, or playing singles tennis:  Studies also indicate that exercise’s greatest impact occurs when individuals move from a sedentary lifestyle to embarking on regular moderate exercise regimens.

That’s encouraging. You go, Girl!