Your health: check your codes
Check QR codes
You'll be seeing more of these postage-stamp-shaped “quick response” graphics in and around the grocery store in the coming year as retailers and food manufacturers learn how to put this relatively new technology to work, says The Washington Post.
Download any QR reader app for your smartphone and scan the code on food packages. The reader will send you directly to such information as nutrition facts and recipes. Learn more about QR codes at wapo.st/wapoqr.
A good investment?
If you're pledging to lose some pounds this year by joining a gym, the Better Business Bureau recommends asking some questions before signing on the dotted line.
Joining a gym is the same as making any major purchase; you need to make an informed decision and consider some important factors.
The BBB recommends asking the gym the following five questions before signing up for a membership:
1. What are the terms of any introductory offers?
2. Will my membership renew automatically?
3. How can I get out of my contract?
4. What happens if I move?
5. What happens if you go out of business?
Happy fitness shopping!
Study seeks subjects
The first national study on detecting Alzheimer's disease before substantial memory loss occurs is seeking participants.
Northwestern University researchers want to enroll men and women aged 55 to 90 with early memory loss that doesn't affect daily living. People without memory problems also can enroll in a control group.
Researchers will use imaging techniques and biomarkers in blood and spinal fluid to track changes in the brain. The goal is to identify who is at risk for Alzheimer's, track disease progression and devise tests to measure the effectiveness of potential interventions.
Northwestern is one of several study sites led by the National Institute on Aging. The study is an expansion of the National Institutes of Health's Alzheimer's disease Neuroimaging Initiative.
Information is available from the study's project coordinator, at (312) 503-2486.