Senior America's   Facts and Fiction News Section

This Section Presents Articles on Facts from a variety of sources.

This months subjects:
GUIDE TO A NO-STRESS VACATION…..

If you are like us, you look forward to a vacation like the paparazzi salivate over a Brangelina baby sighting. But you also obsess over the details. Will you get a good rate on a flight? Will you have a safe trip? Will lifting a pina colada be the most exercise you get (and will it go straight to your thighs)? We’ve compiled this travel survival guide so you won’t stress while you’re planning the damn thing and can truly relax when you finally hit the road.

YOU’RE WRESTLING WITH RESERVATIONS…….It may seem so twentieth-century, but when you’re planning a trip or making changes on the road, call the hotel or the local rental-car office directly. The’ll have the most up-to-the-minute information on overbooking or on deals that are suddenly available due to last-minute cancellations (like weddings.) Plus, you can ask about any specials they are advertising locally.

If you still don’t have any luck, ask for the manager on duty or the director of sales, says Peter Greenberg, NBC’s travel editor. Managers tend have the power to make things happen for you, whether it’s an upgrade or a discount.

FOR THE CONTROL FREAK…………..If you hate being at the mercy of airline specials when planniong your trip, set your own price by going to SKYAUCTION.COM. You bid on a flight to a particular destination, like at priceline.com. However, with skyauction, you not only choose your destination, you also know what airline and departure time you are bidding on. Bonus: If your bid is accepted, you can often purchase up to eight tickets at the same price. The downside is that if it isn’t, you may have missed your window for booking a cheaper ticket the old-fashion way.

SLEEP SOUNDLY….Disturbing but necessary facts about hotel safety and hygiene…….

1. PASS THE GLASS….. . The last time those paper-capped glasses saw a dishwasher may well have been during the Reagan administration (specially if your lodging is a far cry from four –star.) Even if they haven’t been sipped from, they’ve probably been handled, putting you at risk for contagious like the stomach flu. “A robust virus can live on a glass for a couple days,” says Phillip M. Tierno Jr., M.D., director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University Medical Center. Concerned? Ask for some new glasses from room service.

2. DON’T LET THE BUGS BITE………After been nearly forgotten in the U.S., bed bugs have recently made a comeback, even at the nicest hotels. (Some experts think the resurgence is due to international travelers bringing home the varmints.) Generally found in heavily trafficked urban areas, they have flat, reddish-brown bodies that are about one-quarter-to one-half inch long. Their MO is to feed by sucking your blood. The bad news is that the bugs like to hide, so you may not know you have them until you wake up covered in bites. It’s worth inspecting the room when you arrive. Look in the nightstand drawer, under the mattress and in any cracks and crevices around the bad or the bed frame, says Xing Ping Hu, Ph.D.,an associate professor of entomology at Auburn University in Alabama.

3. SAFEGUARD VALUABLES…….An electronic safe is the best bet for keeping your items secure in your room. But don’t get too confident, says Amy Ziff, Travelocity’s editor-at-large. Stash serious valuables in the hotel safe. It can be a major hassle timewise, but the hotel safe is more likely to be insured. Other tips: Before leaving your room, close the blinds and turn on the TV and a light to discourage casual thieves. And skip the “Please Clean Room” sign-it’s a red aleart that the room is prime for the picking.


Written by: Sonia Reinhardt Mittelstedt
Source: Fitness Magazine August 2006 issue.


FACTS AND FICTION………..

When conflicting studies and information clash, who’s right? To tell you the truth, there are no simple answers.

These days, it's no laughing matter. Hardly a day goes by without news of a survey that seemingly contradicts previous findings. One study says obesity is a problem, while another informs us that it’s fine to be somewhat overweight. One study claims that global warming is fueling killer hurricanes, while another concludes that the storms are merely part of a natural cycle.

This whirlwind of conflicting information is enough to leave most of us dazed and confused, prompting the question: Just how do researchers and scientists arrive at such vastly different conclusions when examining the same topic? Whether the focus is on video games or vitamin supplements, electromagnetic waves from cell phones or the effect of osteoporosis on bones, one fact is certain: “We live in a complex world, and understanding things is an enormous challenge,” observes Robert Blendon, professor of Health policy and Political Analysis at the Harvar5d University School of Public Health.

History books offer plenty of examples of conventional wisdom gone amok. At one time, scientists claimed that salt caused hypertension, eggs led to heart disease, and estrogen therapy reduced the risk of cancer. Then the scientific poles reversed, and experts tossed aside recommendations previously chiseled in stone. In reality, even experts find themselves perplexed by a steady stream of conflicting results. “Every new survey represents an opportunity for researchers to contradict themselves and create additional confusion,” admits Tim Johnson, Director of Survey Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Part of the problem is that sorting through the seemingly infinite number of variables in the world, including genes, climate, pollution, diet, exercise, lifestyle, and psychology is daunting. What a researcher chooses to include or exclude in a study can lead to significantly different findings. Errors in methodology also occur. For example, a study of oral health in adults night show skewed results if researchers use a telephone survey. That’s because the poor are less likely to have a telephone. Likewise, a black interviewer asking a white respondent about race relations may elicit less-than-candid results.

Experts say it’s wise to keep an eye on who’s conducting the research and where the findings appear. For instance, special-interest groups and political organizations often phrase survey questions to spin results in a desired direction. Johnson offers a perfect example: When pollsters ask a group of respondents whether the federal government should fund welfare programs, they answer with a resounding “NO”. However, when researchers ask the same group whether the federal government should help the poor, many more support the idea.

Studies that appears in highly respected publications, such as the New England Journal of Medicine or the Journal of the American Medical Association, are more likely to reflect solid research and analysis. That’s because the articles undergo a stringent peer-review process that scrutinizes the research. Other publications my use a less-stringent review process or none at all. The result may be overlooked errors and mistakes that can lead to flawed results.

Finally, it’s best to avoid drawing conclusions from a single survey. Examining a group of studies and looking at overall trends is likely to paint a far more realistic picture. In fact, some researchers now use a technique called meta-analysis to compile data from groups of studies. This way, they’re able to provide a far more complete analysis. “Meta-analysis has emerged as one of the most effective tools for summarizing and understanding scientific data,” Johnson notes.

As much as scientists try to be precise, there will always be differences and discrepancies in specific studies. It’s unsettling that researchers present conflicting information and sometimes reverse previous findings, but that’s the nature of scientific pursuit.

Source: American Way 2006
Compiled by: Sonia Reinhardt Mittelstedt