Travel Secrets: The Role of Fear

The world is a scary place. Or at least that’s what we often digest from an all-you-can-consume news buffet. Terrorist attacks. Fires. Shootings. Earthquakes and landslides. Tragedy is always around the corner. No place out there is safe. For some people, fear is an excuse not to travel, to stay inside the perceived safety of a localized bubble. For anyone reading this column—those of us who live to experience and engage more deeply in the world—fear and anxiety may make us more cautious but will never keep us from exploring. Phil…

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Insider: Families weigh pros, cons of travel sports’ growing role

The youth sports world has changed dramatically since I grew up in the 1980s and ’90s. All the way through my senior year of high school, I played football, basketball and baseball. Once basketball season was over, you’d put your stuff away and — for the most part, with the exception of some summer leagues and camps and pick-up games — not worry about it again until the next season. If you’re from that generation, or before, you can probably relate. Which makes it so fascinating to me now to…

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Scientists Say Gut Microbes May Play Role in Yo-Yo Dieting, Obesity

Scientists studying yo-yo dieting in mice say the tendency for people to regain excess weight rapidly after successfully slimming may well be due to their microbiome – the trillions of microorganisms in the gut. The researchers found that changes in the gut microbiome that occur when an obese mouse loses weight can persist for many months, and that this contributes to accelerated weight regain later if the diet lapses. If, as the researchers believe, a similar thing happens in obese people, they said, it could help explain why so many…

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