Are Mosquitos Becoming Resistant to Deet?
It may be hard for some to think about bug sprays in frigid February, but in a few months, they'll be necessary weapons to ward off mosquito bites and possibly the diseases they carry. But just how effective are these repellants? Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine looked at Deet, which was first developed by the United States military in World War II, reports the BBC. After spraying a human arm with this widely-used repellant, the researchers exposed it to the type of mosquito that spreads dengue and yellow fever. As expected, the mosquitoes rejected the bait. But three hours later, when the same mosquitoes were tempted with the Deet-covered arm, the repellant was less effective. "What we found was the mosquitoes were no longer as sensitive to the chemical, so they weren't picking it up as well," James Logan, medical entomologist at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the BBC. "Mosquitoes are very good at evolving very very quickly." Logan insists that people continue to use Deet while, in the meantime, scientists figure out to make a more effective version. The research was published Wedesnday in the journal PLOS ONE.
Why Is Everyone Always Giving My Kids Junk Food?
I have three lovely little girls who range in age from 3 to 8, writes U.S. News blogger Yoni Freedhoff. All three go to school, participate in organized, after-school activities, enjoy birthday parties and play dates, and have a cadre of friends. And everywhere they go, they're being smothered with junk.
Last week my 3-year-old's pre-school had a "color war." An email sent to parents explained that there would be a fruit snack and "a treat of course." It's not so much the treat that's the problem, it's the "of course."
As many defenders of pushing junk food on kids will tell you, "one treat isn't going to kill them," but it's the societal "of course" attitude that might—as if 3-year-olds wouldn't be thrilled to pieces to just play all day and enjoy some fruit on its own. [Read more: Why Is Everyone Always Giving My Kids Junk Food?]
The Oscars: A Starlet-Approved (Healthy) Red Carpet Menu
Let's be honest, the Oscars are the female equivalent of the Super Bowl, writes U.S. News blogger Frances Largeman-Roth. Women get just as excited about the Academy Awards as men do about the biggest day in football. We invite our friends over, serve special food and drinks, and speculate at length about the winners. There's even a pre-game show: Red carpet coverage starts at 4:30 p.m. (and some fashion news will start even earlier)—a full four hours before the actual awards show begins at 8:30 p.m. EST.
Just like the Super Bowl, the awards go on for hours, which can lead to more munching than you'd planned. Perhaps the biggest difference between how women and men celebrate their big televised event is that women care a bit more about how their snacking and sipping is going to affect their bottom line. We want the maximum enjoyment from the slimmest amount of calories. I think that's especially true because we're watching waif-thin actresses take the stage, as opposed to beefy linemen who look like they've never seen a calorie they didn't like
To help you celebrate the Academy Awards this year, I'm putting together bites and drinks to let you indulge without worrying about having to add an extra cardio class to your list of to-dos. They're all very photogenic, too, so you can happily Tweet or Pin them to your Oscars board!
Grown-up Popcorn: To help with portion control and avoid greasy finger cross-contamination, I like to serve popcorn in small bowls or disposable Chinese food-style containers. [Read more: The Oscars: A Starlet-Approved (Healthy) Red Carpet Menu]
Reader Comments (