Wrinkles away

The New York Times reports:

A recent review in The Archives of Dermatology concludes that three anti-aging treatments are proven clinically effective: the topical application of retinol; carbon dioxide laser resurfacing; and injection of hyaluronic acid, a moisture-retaining acid that occurs naturally in the skin. Each depends on the same mechanism, the interaction of skin cells called fibroblasts with the collagen they produce.

Now you know.

Looking to illustrate this post, I came across this photo of "Ga-Be-Nah-Gewn-Wonce, also known as John Smith, a Chippewa Indian reputed to be 137 years old." Smith's Indian name means "wrinkled meat." His life story reminds us that after a certain age, wrinkles will not matter to you, and are no measure of a person's strength and vitality. At the age of 130 Smith was run over by a train and "suffered no ill effects" after a three week hospital stay. Check out the John Smith website.

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Television ruinous to health of children

LFP reports:

France's broadcast authority has banned French channels from marketing TV shows to children under three years of age.

The warning messages on foreign content will read: "Watching television can slow the development of children under three, even when it involves channels aimed specifically at them."

The photo above shows some teddy bears I saw for sale in a store in Hong Kong. What must parents thinking when they buy stuff like that for their kids?

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Coffee: good or bad?

The NY Times surveys the literature. From my perspective, coffee's protective effects against diabetes is reason enough to drink it. But there are plenty of other.

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