The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Tips for stressed-out women this Mother’s Day

There’s no doubt about it. Being a mom in these modern times can be stressful.

Women are more likely than the general public to cite as sources of stress family health concerns – 57 percent for women, 53 percent for the general public – and family responsibilities – 62 percent for women, 57 percent for the general public, according to the American Psychological Association survey, “Stress in America: Our Health at Risk.”

In addition, caregivers, both men and women, are more likely to report higher levels of stress than others, 6.5 for caregivers and 5.2 for the general public, in 2011, on a scale of one to 10 where one is low stress and 10 is high stress).

“What I see in my practice is that too often women are so focused on other people’s needs that they neglect the stress in their own lives,” Rosalind Dorlen, Psy.D., chair of the New Jersey Psychological Association Public Education Committee and spokewoman for the American Psychological Association, said in a statement. “With so many competing responsibilities, women often don’t take time for themselves, and their overall wellness can be compromised.”

For Mother’s Day, New Jersey Psychological Association offers these strategies for busy women, mothers, and caregivers:

Take care of yourself – Set aside time to engage in healthy activities that you enjoy or that help you relax. Identify hobbies, increase exercising or eating healthy foods. Making time for yourself will help you better manage stressful situations and allow you to better care for the whole family. Also, find something that makes you laugh – humor is important, and laughter can make life a whole lot easier.

Recognize how you deal with family stress – Some people deal with stress by engaging in unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, comfort eating, or yelling and becoming irritable. Remember that stress is inevitable. What makes the biggest difference is how you manage that stress.

Reach out to others – Enlist and accept help from others including friends and family. Identify ways your family can help with specific needs that must be met such as proving a meal or babysitting so you can find time to take a break and rejuvenate. Take time to connect with your women friends when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Strong female friendships can help women overcome stressors.

Keep things in perspective – Remind yourself that each morning offers a new start and take things one step at a time. Realize that there’s no one perfect way to parent. Staying optimistic lowers stress.

Prioritize – You can only do one thing at a time. Delay or say no to the unimportant tasks, and make appointments for more important tasks, such as spending quality time with a spouse or child.

Be organized – Keeping the family and yourself organized reduces stress. Put family health information in separate folders; get family members to keep laundry in color-coded baskets; keep book bags in assigned bins. Harried searching for things adds to mom’s stress. Enlist your children’s help in developing an organization plan for your household – if they’re involved in the planning, they’ll be more likely to follow through.

Ask for professional help – If you feel overwhelmed by stress or the unhealthy behaviors you use to cope, you may want to talk with a psychologist who can help you address the emotions behind your worries, better manage stress, and change unhealthy behaviors.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Spring apparel, candy to send Easter sales past $16 billion, survey says

Americans will spend an average of $145 on everything from apparel and candy to food and decorations this year, up 11 percent from $131 last year. Total spending is expected to reach $16.8 billion.

“Though the price of gas is on everyone’s mind, Easter is one of the few holidays some consumers are willing to stretch their budgets, especially because many children look forward to treats and new outfits on Easter morning,” said National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay.

Consumers celebrating Easter want to buy for candy and new spring clothes, according to a federation survey.

Nearly half will head to the stores to take advantage of spring sales on fashions and accessories, with total spending on those items expected to reach $3 billion. Most, 89 percent, will buy more than $2 billion on traditional favorites such as chocolate eggs and jelly beans. The average person will spend more on these items as well: $26 on apparel, up from $22 last year, and $20 on candy, up from $19 last year.

Americans are also set to spend more on their Easter meals with the average person expected to spend $44, up from $40 last year for a total $5.1 billion. In addition, consumers will spend an average of $21 on gifts for their friends and family, $11 on flowers, and $9 on decorations for their home and office. Half will buy greeting cards, spending an average of $7.

More than half of tablet owners celebrating Easter will use their device to research products and purchase gifts and other merchandise. In addition, 43 percent of smartphone owners celebrating Easter will use their mobile device to research and/or purchase items.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Grocery shoppers rate Wegmans, Trader Joe’s, Publix, and Fareway highly, while giving low marks to Wal-Mart, survey shows

Consumer Reports subscribers rated Wegmans, Trader Joe’s, Publix, and Fareway tops among 52 of the nation’s major grocery stores.

While most respondents were quite satisfied with their experiences, the survey also showed even some of the high-rated chains gave many shoppers something to complain about.

One-third of subscribers surveyed said they’d stopped shopping at a nearby grocery store. Forty-three percent changed in search of lower prices; about 25 percent, poor selection, long lines, or lousy food; 17 percent, employee rudeness; 14 percent, crowds.

Of the 24,203 readers interviewed, more than half had at least one complaint about their current store; almost a third cited two or more.

The biggest complaint overall: Not enough open checkouts, cited by 27 percent of shoppers, followed by congested or cluttered aisles and advertised specials that were out of stock. Other complaints included inept bagging, missing prices, and scanner overcharges

Wal-Mart, Pathmark in the Northeast, and Pick ’n Save in Wisconsin had the most complaints with about three-fourths of shoppers having one or more problems.

Consumers who shopped at Wal-Mart were most likely to be upset about the lack of open checkouts, out-of-stock regular items, indifferent employees, spotty pricing, and confusing store layout.

On the other hand, those interviewed said Costco and Trader Joe’s, along with Fareway Stores in the Midwest and Wegmans, offer quality meat and produce, clean stores, and very good or exceptional prices.

All but Costco also earned the highest possible marks for service, defined as employee courtesy and checkout speed. Service is minimal at warehouse clubs such as Costco, and lengthy lines are a trade-off for deals.

For details, see Consumer Reports May issue or visit www.ConsumerReports.org.

Smart shoppers can slash bills by 60 percent

Also in the report, Consumer Reports found you can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars a year by doing homework and adjusting shopping habits.

Consumer Reports’ shopping expert Tod Marks cut his bill by about 60 percent using different shopping strategies.

New consumer product safety database provides valuable information on hazardous products to consumers, safety agency

SaferProducts.gov, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s consumer database that allows people to share and access safety information about the products they own and consider buying, is celebrating its first year anniversary.

Consumer organizations – the Consumer Federation of America, Kids In Danger, and Consumers Union – conducted an analysis of the reports published in the database through January 2012.

The consumer groups supported the creation of the database and think it’s an important tool to educate consumers about product safety hazards and improve the commission’s ability to identify and act on problems in the marketplace.

In the analysis of the first 10 months of reports, it’s clear that the database is working as intended, giving consumers a place to report and review reports, the groups said in a statement. Of the more than 6,000 reports, consumers submitted almost all.

The reports products ranged from kitchen appliances to cribs to shoes to lighting products. The largest group of reports is about kitchen products, 37 percent, especially appliances, 33 percent. Reports about children’s products, including toys and nursery items, made up15 percent of the complaints.

“Our analysis of the database shows that consumers and the CPSC now have access to useful information about many types of consumer products – information that was not available to the public before,” Rachel Weintraub, director of product safety and senior counsel at Consumer Federation of America, said in a statement. “Consumers are no longer completely left in the dark about product safety and have access to lifesaving information.”

Concerns had been raised about the lack of information in the reports, but the additional information in most reports makes it possible to accurately identify the product involved.

More women in their 60s living with their friends

Some say the ‘60s hippies are going back to the commune. Others call the growing number of female baby boomers rooming together “‘The Golden Girls’ phenomenon.”

It’s really about women choosing to live with friends, Martha Nelson, author of “Black Chokeberry,” novel about three older women who unexpectedly end up sharing a home, said in a statement.

“As a group, we’ve been empowered more than past generations of women,” said Nelson. “We’re more worldly, stronger, financially savvy, and healthier than our ancestors… and we know what we want.”

Increasingly, what women want is to actively age with the camaraderie, laughter, understanding, and support of other women who share their ideas of healthy lifestyles, good food from their own gardens, green living, and other activities.

In 2010, 480,000 boomer women lived with a least one unrelated female, according to an AARP analysis.

And, the number of U.S. HomeShare programs, which help connect people interested in sharing a house, has been steadily rising since the Great Recession.

“This concept is really trending on the East and West coasts and is very big in Europe,” said Ryan Cowmeadow, vice president of the National Shared Housing Resource Center, a clearinghouse of HomeShare programs.

HomeShare’s numbers are up about 15 percent since 2007, and about 75 percent of applicants are female.

The cohousing movement – where residents have private living spaces but share common areas, such as dining rooms, and tasks, such as cooking – started in Denmark and is becoming popular in the United States.

Cohousing can be found in more than 200 communities in America, with the states of California, Colorado, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington offering the most cohousing opportunities.

Nelson said more women are interested in living with other women because women usually live longer than men, and men are more likely to remarry after a divorce or the death of a spouse.

“And fundamentally, I think it’s as much about the special bonds women share,” she said. “We form these wonderful, supportive, 'tell the truth' friendships, which survive the demands of husbands, children, and careers.”

A former journalist and educator, Nelson’s marriage ended in divorce when she was in her 50s. After regaining her balance as a single woman, she turned to her friends as she stepped back into life.

"I came to fully understand the importance of women friends in my life," she said. "They are the gold standard and as we age, they are critical to happiness, regardless if one is married or in a committed relationship."

The practical considerations of creating close living communities – include health and safety, care in times of an accident or medical emergency, and financial considerations – are important for many women who find themselves single or widowed after long marriages, Nelson said.

But boomers are known for demanding more than creature comforts from life, she said. “We want to be happy; we’re healthy, active and we want to enjoy ourselves as we age. We want to travel, go to a movie with a neighbor or housemate, cook a meal, share a garden, and feel that we are contributing to our communities.

“We’re strong women, and we can choose to live the way we want as we get older,” Nelson said. “Very often, that will mean with other women in close knit communities."

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Banks, telecoms, electronics, retailers among companies requiring forced arbitration

If your bank, cell phone provider, employer, or other company that you conduct business with violated your rights or cheated you, would you want to be able to take them to court?

Many companies are now using fine print to stop consumers from taking legal action, according to Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group.

Below is Public Citizen’s listing of some of the largest corporations that have placed “forced arbitration” clauses in their terms of service. Forced arbitration blocks consumers and employees from holding companies accountable in court because they must take their claims to private, secretive tribunals that often favor the companies, the consumer group said in a statement.

Telecommunications: DirectTV, Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, Sprint, T-Mobile, Clearwire, Time Warner Cable, Tacfone.

Consumer banking and credit: Wells Fargo, US Bank, Regions Banks, BB&T, Discover, PNC Bank, Chase.

Student loans: Sallie Mae, Citibank, Chase, Discover.

Consumer electronics: Sony, Dell, Gateway, Electronic Arts, XBox Live.

Nursing homes: Candansk, Covenant Dove, Driftwood Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Kindred Nursing Center, Manor Care of Florida, OP Winter Haven, SA-PG Sun City Center, Triad Health Management of Georgia.

Home builders: D.R. Horton, Pulte Homes, Centex Corp., Lennar, KB Home, Hovnanian Enterprises, NVR (Ryan), The Ryland Group, Beazer Homes.

Gift cards: Starbucks, Pep Boys, Gold’s Gym, Ticketmaster, Crocs, In-N-Out Burger, Red Mango, Patagonia, Discover.

Ecommerce and entertainment: amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Netflix, Hulu.

Employment: Hooters of America, Forever 21, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus Group, Macy’s West Stores, Yahoo! Inc.

Miscellaneous: New Leaf Academy, Orkin.

Public Citizen asks consumers to add more companies that are taking away their rights with forced arbitration by sending an e-mail to action@citizen.org.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Carcinogens found in regular and diet Coke and Pepsi, consumer group says

Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Diet Coke, and Diet Pepsi contain high levels of 4-methylimidazole or 4-MI, a known animal carcinogen, a new chemical analyses has found.

The carcinogen forms when ammonia or ammonia and sulfites are used to manufacture the “caramel coloring” that gives these sodas their brown colors, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the consumer advocacy group that commissioned the tests.

The center petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban ammonia-sulfite caramel coloring in February 2011.

This week, the center again asked the FDA to revoke its authorization for caramel colorings that contain 4-MI, and to change the name of the additive to “ammonia-sulfite process caramel coloring” or “chemically modified caramel coloring” for labeling purposes.

“Coke and Pepsi, with the acquiescence of the FDA, are needlessly exposing millions of Americans to a chemical that causes cancer,” Michael F. Jacobson, center executive director, said in a statement.

“The coloring is completely cosmetic, adding nothing to the flavor of the product,” Jacobson said. “If companies can make brown food coloring that is carcinogen-free, the industry should use that. And industry seems to be moving in that direction. Otherwise, the FDA needs to protect consumers from this risk by banning the coloring.”

The center collected samples of Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Diet Dr Pepper, and Whole Foods 365 Cola from Washington, D.C.-area stores:

• Pepsi’s products had 145 to 153 micrograms (mcg) of 4-MI in two 12-ounce cans.
• Regular Coca-Cola had 142 mcg per 12 ounces in one sample and 146 mcg in another.
• Diet Coke had 103 mcg per 12 ounces in one sample and 113 mcg in another.

California has a 29-microgram benchmark for 4-MI. Levels above that in a serving of food or beverage may be required to bear a warning notice. Based on California’s risk model, the center estimates that the 4-MI in the Coke and Pepsi products tested is causing about 15,000 cancers in the U.S. population.

While federal law bans food additives that cause any number of cancers, the FDA has an exception for contaminants of food additives. It tolerates a lifetime risk of one cancer in one million people.

Three of four samples of Dr Pepper or Diet Dr Pepper that center tested had low levels of 4-MI, with about 10 mcg per 12 ounces. But even those levels pose a cancer risk of seven in one million – seven times greater than what the FDA allows, according to the center. The lower levels in those three samples indicate that it’s possible to lower, if not eliminate, the amount of 4-MI.

Pepsi told the center that it has switched to a coloring in California that contains much less 4-MI and plans to do the same in the rest of the country, Jacobson said.

When most people see “caramel coloring” on food labels, they likely assume the ingredient is similar to what you might get by gently melting sugar in a saucepan, he said.

“The reality is quite different,” Jacobson added. “Colorings made with the ammonia or ammonia-sulfite process contain carcinogens and don’t belong in the food supply. In any event, they shouldn’t be obscured by such an innocuous-sounding name as ‘caramel coloring.’”

While the test results are troubling, the center says soda drinkers should be much more concerned about the high-fructose corn syrup or other sugars used in soft drinks. Soda drinkers are much more likely than non-soda drinkers to develop weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and other health problems.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

EPA to conduct safety reviews on 83 highly toxic chemicals

By Rita R. Robison

While Congress continues to fail to update toxic chemical laws and regulations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will conduct safety reviews of 83 chemicals often found in consumer goods and manufacturing.

The agency is giving top priority to seven chemicals considered the most serious risks to human health and the environment for assessment in 2012. They are:

• Antimony and antimony compounds
• HHCB (1,3,4,6,7,8-Hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8,-hexamethylcyclopenta[g]-2-benzopyran)
• Long-chain chlorinated paraffins
• Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins
• Methylene chloride
• N-Methylpyrrolidone
• Trichloroethylene

“The list of chemicals EPA has targeted reads like a rogue’s gallery of carcinogens, neurotoxic substances and chemicals that could cause serious organ damage,” Jane Houlihan, senior vice president for Research at the Environmental Working Group, said in a statement. “Congress hasn’t come up with a legislative fix to help shield the public from toxic substances. But the Obama EPA under Administrator Lisa Jackson continues to do what it’s supposed to do: protect people and the environment.”

In conducting risk assessments on the seven chemicals, EPA will use information available through scientific literature, and the agency is also seeking unpublished studies.

This spring, the EPA plans to identify chemicals that it will conduct risk assessment on in 2013 and 2014.

The EPA will provide draft risk assessments for public review and comments as they’re completed. If an assessment indicates significant risk, the EPA will evaluate and carry out risk reduction actions. If an assessment indicates no significant risk, the EPA will conclude its current work on that chemical.

Additional chemicals will be added to the work plan as more data are developed and more chemicals screened.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

FDA should reject Qnexa, another dangerous diet pill, consumer groups says

The diet drug Qnexa shouldn’t be approve because it can cause serious cardiovascular problems, Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, told a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee.

An anti-seizure medication, Qnexa – a combination of phentermine, an amphetamine, and topiramate – causes increased heart rate and may lead to severe cardiovascular problems, such as heart attacks and arrhythmias, as well as birth defects, kidney stones, decreased bone mineral density, and memory impairment, Public Citizen said in a statement.

The FDA rejected Qnexa, manufactured by Vivus, when it was first being considered by the FDA for approval in 2010 because of concerns about the risk of birth defects, including cleft palate from the topiramate component and cardiovascular risks from phentermine.

Public Citizen testified then that the drug shouldn’t be approved because these and other risks would be increased by off-label use. The manufacturer resubmitted data in support of its application, which is being evaluated by the FDA’s Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee.

“Public health cannot tolerate yet another drug approval for a diet drug not accurately assessed for cardiovascular risks, especially in light of suggestive findings of such risks with Qnexa,” said Sidney Wolfe, M.D., director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group. “The danger of another approved diet drug hitting something vital – the cardiovascular system – is no longer acceptable when it could be prevented by a large clinical trial powered to evaluate such risk prior to approval.”

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Environmental medicine group calls for moratorium on use of wireless ‘smart’ meters

By Rita R. Robison

Have you ever wondered about the health effects from the meter your utility installed on your house?

Genetic, hormonal, and fertility effects and an increase risk of certain types of cancer could occur from exposure to wireless radiofrequency radiation from “smart” meters, the Board of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine said in a January statement to the California Public Utilities Commission.

The academy, a group of physicians and others that studies illnesses caused by biological and chemical agents, offered its comments prior to a commission decision on whether Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers would need to pay to have their smart meters replaced with analog ones.

In its statement, the academy said children are at particular risk for altered brain development and impaired learning and behavior. In addition, wireless radio frequency or extremely low frequency radiation adds to the damage seen from toxic chemicals.

The academy based its opposition on a review of medical literature, which it said raises serious concern about the levels of radio frequency, RF – 3 KHz to 300 GHz, or extremely low frequency, ELF – 0 to 300 Hz, exposures produced by “smart meters.” Its statement calls for an immediate and complete moratorium on their use and installation until further studies can be done. 

“Chronic exposure to wireless radiofrequency radiation is a preventable environmental hazard that is sufficiently well documented to warrant immediate preventative public health action,” the academy said.

The academy believes that existing FCC guidelines for RF safety that have been used to justify installation of “smart meters” only look at thermal tissue damage and are obsolete. Many modern studies show metabolic and genomic damage from RF and ELF exposures below the level of intensity that heats tissues. 

“The FCC guidelines are therefore inadequate for use in establishing public health standards,” the academy said. “More modern literature shows medically and biologically significant effects of RF and ELF at lower energy densities. These effects accumulate over time, which is an important consideration given the chronic nature of exposure from ‘smart meters.’”

The academy also said:

The US NIEHS National Toxicology Program in 1999 cited radiofrequency radiation as a potential carcinogen. Existing safety limits for pulsed RF were termed ‘not protective of public health’ by the Radiofrequency Interagency Working Group, a federal interagency working group including the Food and Drug Administration, Federal Communications Commission, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and others. 

Emissions given off by ‘smart meters’ have been classified by the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer as a possible human carcinogen.

In addition to calling for a moratorium, the academy asked the commission to:

• Modify the revised proposed decision to include scheduling hearings on health impacts of RF and ELF in the second proceedings, along with requiring a cost evaluation and community wide opt-out.

• Provide immediate relief to those requesting analog meters.

Early this month, the commission voted 4 to 0 to allow PG&E to charge customers a $75 fee and a $10 monthly charge for restoring or retaining their analog meter. Low-income consumers will pay less.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist