Beech Tree News Network

Over the past month, I’ve saved some news clippings and highlighted a few facts that interested me. Each piece of information – for some reason – held my attention, even though it was just a detail in a larger article. In no particular order, twelve bits of information are listed below:

•    Families are spending cautiously. Many have pulled money out of stocks, avoided new debt, hoarded cash, and paid off debt in order to save money.
•    Currently, a majority of public schools students in southern and western U.S. states are low-income, qualifying for federal free and reduced-price meals.
•    In 2012, 9,500 school-age children were treated for backpack-related injuries. The weight of a backpack should not exceed 15 to 20% of the child’s body weight.
•    New guidelines issued by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology offer doctors a new formula for estimating risk that may result in one-third of all adults taking medication to lower cholesterol and reduce heart risks in other ways.
•    Diabetes is a condition involving inadequate regulation of blood glucose levels. Chronic high blood glucose levels can damage vital organs, including the heart. A high-fiber diet and routine exercise play important roles in preventing and managing diabetes.
•    Food stamps help support nearly one in seven Americans.
•    We are products of what we eat, what we don’t eat, and what we may eat too much of.
•    Although rates of overweight and obese Americans are increasing, many people are falling short of some nutrient needs.
•    Our bodies have the unlimited ability to store excess energy (calories) as fat.
•    Based on current recommendations, adult women should consume 9 cups of water per day, and adult men should consume 13 cups of water per day.
•    Some problems the U.S. faces today include an aging population, the job market, healthcare and social security, the national debt, our dependence on oil from abroad, and the devaluation of the dollar.
•    Chickens begin laying eggs when they’re four to six months old and are productive for about two years, then production drops significantly; however, hens can live an additional decade longer. (I now understand one of the reasons my grandmother occasionally killed some of the farm chickens.)

These random bits of information interested me. Generally, when we know more, we are able to make better decisions. But, in this case, these facts are simply thoughts to ponder.