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When the retirement community goes bankrupt

Jan. 22, 2025 at 4:00 am Updated Jan. 22, 2025 at 4:00 am

Bob Curtis, 88, a resident of an upscale continuing care retirement community in Port Washington, N.Y., that has declared bankruptcy. (James Estrin / The New York Times)
1 of 2 | Bob Curtis, 88, a resident of an upscale continuing care retirement community in Port Washington, N.Y., that has declared bankruptcy. (James Estrin / The New York Times)

By PAULA SPAN | The New York Times

Three years ago, when Bob and Sandy Curtis moved into an upscale continuing care retirement community in Port Washington, N.Y., he thought they had found the best possible elder care solution.

In exchange for a steep entrance fee — about $840,000, funded by the sale of the Long Island house they had owned for nearly 50 years — they would have care for the rest of their lives at the Harborside. They selected a contract from several options that set stable monthly fees at about $6,000 for both of them and would refund half the entrance fee to their estate after their deaths.

“This was the final chapter,” Bob Curtis, 88, said. “That was the deal I made.”

CCRCs, or life plan communities, provide levels of increasing care on a single campus, from independent and assisted living to nursing homes and memory care. Unlike most senior living facilities, they’re predominantly nonprofit.

More than 1,900 CCRCs house about 900,000 Americans, according to LeadingAge, which represents nonprofit senior housing providers. Some communities offer lower and higher refunds, many avoid buy-in fees altogether and operate as rentals, and others are hybrids.

For the Curtises, the Harborside offered reassurance. Bob Curtis, an industrial engineer who works as a consultant, took a comfortable one-bedroom apartment in the independent living wing. “It was a vibrant community,” he said. “Meals. Amenities. A gym.”

Every day he spends time with Sandy, 84, who lives in the facility’s memory care unit, an elevator ride away. The staff members there “treat Sandy with love and care,” Bob Curtis said. “It would have been wonderful if it could have continued.”

But in 2023, the Harborside, for the third time since it opened in 2010, declared bankruptcy. Its services and activities have declined, residents and families say. A group of about 65 residents, most in their 90s, has hired a lawyer, but whether they will ever get the refunds their contracts supposedly guarantee remains uncertain.

“Everybody’s panicked,” said Ellen Zlotnick, whose parents also live separately in the Harborside’s independent living and memory care units. Their contract specifies a 75% refund. “A bunch of people are moving, and others refuse to move.”

Data tracking bankruptcies and closures in senior housing are scant. Dee Pekruhn, who directs life plan community policy at LeadingAge, said there had been “very, very few examples of actual bankruptcies,” though there were recent close calls.

But Lori Smetanka, the executive director of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, said that state and local long-term care ombudsmen were increasingly reporting “problems with facilities that are financially troubled.”

Recent crises include the closure of Unisen Senior Living, a CCRC in Tampa, Florida. After it filed for bankruptcy for the second time last spring, more than 100 residents had to move out.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2023, state officials stepped in to oversee a long-established CCRC called Aldersgate, which had floundered financially for years. The state approved a “corrective action plan,” and Aldersgate avoided bankruptcy. But it remains months behind on refund payments, and state supervision continues.

In Steamboat Springs, Colorado, a CCRC called Casey’s Pond entered court-ordered receivership last summer. Since sold to a nonprofit health care system, it will continue operations — but only after two municipalities, a local foundation and hundreds of community members raised $30 million to rescue it.

Other kinds of senior housing can shut down, too. About 1,550 nursing homes closed between 2015 and mid-2024, according to the American Health Care Association.

But when CCRCs fail, residents and families face not only the physical and psychological ordeal of relocating, but also the possible loss of their life savings.

In bankruptcy, residents entitled to refunds “are at the very bottom of the list” among creditors seeking payment, said Nathalie Martin, a University of New Mexico law professor who has written about insolvent CCRCs.

Secured lenders with collateral have the first crack at collecting what they’re owed, followed by lawyers, accountants and employees.

Because the people who live in a CCRC that has promised refunds are unsecured lenders, “residents are in a very vulnerable position, and they don’t know it,” Martin said. Without refunds, they may be unable to afford to pay for care elsewhere if forced to move.

The Harborside in Port Washington, N.Y., which in 2023, for the third time since it opened in 2010, declared bankruptcy. (James Estrin / The New York Times)
The Harborside in Port Washington, N.Y., which in 2023, for the third time since it opened in 2010, declared bankruptcy. (James Estrin / The New York Times)

At the Harborside, an earlier proposed sale to a national chain would have kept the facility open and refunded fees to residents who had moved out or died. That deal fell through last fall when state regulators declined to approve it.

“It’s mind-boggling that the Department of Health allowed this to happen,” said Elizabeth Aboulafia, the lawyer representing some residents of the Harborside.

Now a Chicago investment firm, Focus Healthcare Partners, wants to buy the Harborside and shut down all but the independent living apartments, which would become rentals. (Focus has said it then intends to apply for state licenses for assisted living and memory care. Approvals could take several years.)

A skeptical federal bankruptcy judge questioned that offer last month and instead urged the parties to reach an agreement that protects residents.

“We deeply empathize with the residents,” Curt Schaller, a co-founder of Focus, said in a statement. He added that “we can’t undo money lost by others that led to this bankruptcy.”

The Harborside’s lawyer said she could not comment during pending litigation. The next bankruptcy hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12.

Though the federal government regulates the nursing homes within CCRCs, their other living arrangements and contracts are subject to a hodgepodge of state laws. Many require various disclosures to prospective residents or oversee contract terms.

But few mandate what Martin sees as crucial to protecting refunds: reserves. If they were compulsory, “when you pay these big fees, the facility would be required to set a certain amount of money aside for your future care,” she explained.

A handful of states, including California, Florida, New Mexico and — notably — New York, do require reserves, “but as we have seen, this does not preclude communities from failing to set aside such funds and filing for bankruptcy anyway,” Martin added in an email.

“We need our oversight agencies to pay more attention,” said Smetanka of The National Consumer Voice, referring to state regulators and to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“The licensing agencies should bring in forensic accountants to look at the books. There should be better auditing.”

Additional regulation doesn’t sit well with the senior housing industry. “The more we regulate and make it more expensive, the less we can house people,” said Robert Kramer, a co-founder of the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care.

Requiring reserves, he said, would mean “far fewer CCRCs built — and the people who move in will have net worth in the millions.”

One solution for elder care shoppers: Selecting a CCRC that operates as a rental, without expensive buy-ins or refunds. That route makes potential financial failure less threatening, though it also means that monthly costs rise with increasing levels of care.

Industry sources urge prospective residents to carefully investigate a facility’s financial soundness and applicable state laws, and to have lawyers or financial advisers vet contracts.

“Harborside has been in the news for years — it wasn’t a secret,” Kramer said.

To help, the National Continuing Care Residents Association publishes a consumer manual. CARF International and MyLifeSite also provide consumer guidance.

But Bob Curtis and his sons, both in finance, consulted accountants and even interviewed the chief financial officer of the Harborside’s parent company. Yet here they are.

Curtis attends every bankruptcy court proceeding via Zoom. If he loses his refund, “Where’s Sandy going to go?” he wonders. “How’s she going to manage? How am I going to pay for it?”

This story was originally published at nytimes.com. Read it here.

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/when-the-retirement-community-goes-bankrupt

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120 days: German man sets world record for living under water

To celebrate, Rudiger Koch toasted with champagne and smoked a cigar before leaping into the Caribbean Sea

German aerospace engineer Rudiger Koch, 59, celebrates after breaking the Guinness world record for living in the ocean at a depth of eleven meters off the coast of Puerto Lindo, Panama, on 24 January, 2025.

German aerospace engineer Rudiger Koch, 59, celebrates after breaking the Guinness world record for time living underwater without depressurisation off the coast of Panama. Photograph: Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty Images

Agence France-Presse | Fri 24 Jan 2025 22.29

A German aerospace engineer has celebrated setting a world record for the longest time living under water without depressurisation – 120 days in a submerged capsule off the coast of Panama.

Rudiger Koch, 59, emerged from his 30 sq metre home under the sea on Friday in the presence of Guinness World Records adjudicator Susana Reyes.

She confirmed that Koch had beaten the record previously held by American Joseph Dituri, who spent 100 days living in an underwater lodge in a Florida lagoon.

“It was a great adventure and now it’s over there’s almost a sense of regret actually. I enjoyed my time here very much,” Koch said after leaving the capsule 11 metres under the sea.

“It is beautiful when things calm down and it gets dark and the sea is glowing,” he said of the view through the portholes.

“It is impossible to describe, you have to experience that yourself.”

To celebrate, Koch toasted with champagne and smoked a cigar before leaping into the Caribbean Sea, where a boat picked him up and took him to dry land for a celebratory party.

Koch’s capsule had most of the trappings of modern life: bed, toilet, TV, computer and internet – even an exercise bike.

Located 15 minutes by boat from the coast of northern Panama, it was attached to another chamber perched above the waves by a tube containing a narrow spiral staircase, providing a way down for food and visitors, including a doctor.

Solar panels on the surface provided electricity. There was a backup generator, but no shower.

Koch had told an AFP journalist who visited him halfway through his endeavour that he hoped it would change the way we think about human life – and where we can settle, even permanently.

“What we are trying to do here is prove that the seas are actually a viable environment for human expansion,” he said.

Four cameras filmed his moves in the capsule – capturing his daily life, monitoring his mental health and providing proof that he never came up to the surface.

“We needed witnesses who were monitoring and verifying 24/7 for more than 120 days,” Reyes said.

The record “is undoubtedly one of the most extravagant” and required “a lot of work”, she added.

An admirer of Captain Nemo in Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Koch kept a copy of the 19th-century sci-fi classic on his bedside table beneath the waves.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/25/120-days-german-man-sets-world-record-for-living-under-water

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Alternative wonders: why Yemen’s ancient terraces are a supreme human creation

The soil, treasured for centuries, turns steep Yemini slopes into fertile and productive land. Coffee grown here was served at London’s first coffee house in 1652

Terraces on Jabal Sabir mountain near the city of Ta’izz in southern Yemen.

Terraces on Jabal Sabir mountain near the city of Ta’izz in southern Yemen. Photograph: Arne Hodalic/Getty Images

Kevin Rushby | Fri 24 Jan 2025 09.00 EST

You always know you are about to see something interesting when the driver of your vehicle removes his shoes and firmly grasps the foot pedals with a powerful set of calloused toes. I was new to Yemen and had no idea what to expect. All I could see was that we were on a stony mountain plateau rushing towards a cliff edge in a Toyota pickup truck that no one had remembered to service and MOT.

The twin parallel tyre marks on the dusty mountain top took a sharp left and the horizon fell away into a hazy, bluish void. Our descent had begun: a bone-jarring series of lurches and crashes.

We stopped to do a three-point turn around a vertiginous hairpin bend and I jumped out to admire the view. Then I got my first look at what is one of the world’s supreme human creations: the Yemeni terraces. Stacked from summit to valley bottom, curling around the contours, a staggering achievement of communal effort replicated throughout the mountain chain that runs from the Saudi border almost to the southern point of Arabia at Aden.

Mountains and farmland near the southern city of Ta’izz
Mountains and farmland near the southern city of Ta’izz. Photograph: Independent Picture Service/Alamy

Each terrace wall is a testament to the stone-mason’s art, some of them standing as tall as a house to retain a couple of metres of soil. And that soil, carefully gathered and treasured for centuries, turns these steep slopes into fertile, productive land. Coffee grown here would have been served at London’s first coffee house in 1652, although at the time the true origin was so obscure it was known by the name of the Red Sea port where merchants bought it: Mokha.

Farmers hold conversations with friends who might be just 100 metres away on a terrace across the valley, but several hours walk apart

Everywhere you see the intricate workmanship and the care taken to control and retain not only soil but water. Some stone cisterns are barely bigger than a bathtub, others are Olympic swimming pool-size with complex systems of access via steps and ledges.

In spring on one mountain, Jabal Sabir near the southern city of Ta’izz, I walked through shady groves of coffee, almond and khat trees, listening to the farmers hold conversations with friends who might be just 100 metres away on a terrace across the valley, but several hours walk apart. Those terrace walls act as graveyard too. When folk die the entire village turns out to carry them at dawn and insert the shrouded body behind a stone. Everyone’s last act is to push up the daisies, and the coffee beans.

Many terraces were already ancient when the 10th-century Arab scholar Abu Hasan al-Hamdani described them as a marvel of the world. The fact is the terraces are the product of generations of human dedication, right up to the present day. Some have fallen into disrepair, it’s true, but others continue, and with their management of soil and water, they remain a potent symbol of sustainability, environmental care, and good sense.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/jan/24/why-yemens-ancient-terraces-are-my-wonder-of-the-world

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Renton man charged with murder of 62-year-old mother

Jan. 23, 2025 at 9:10 pm | By Lauren Girgis, Seattle Times staff reporter

A 34-year-old Renton man was charged with first-degree murder on Thursday for allegedly strangling his mother in her home.

Leda Louise Files, 62, was found dead in her apartment on Tuesday. Her son Sean Preston Lowe reportedly called 911 shortly after 2 a.m. to report his mother’s death and before that had a called a crematorium. While completing a blood draw for toxicology after being detained, Lowe allegedly told a detective “I killed my mother,” according to charging documents filed in King County Superior Court.

A Renton police detective wrote that investigators found a video on Lowe’s phone in which he told his mother that her death was “imminent” while she lay in bed. A prosecutor wrote the video appeared to be from the evening before Files was killed as Lowe was wearing the clothes he was arrested in and Files was wearing the clothes she had on when she was found dead.

An autopsy indicated Files was “forcefully smothered” and strangled, a prosecutor wrote. The medical examiner determined the manner of death was homicide.

A detective wrote in a probable cause document that officers arrived at a Renton apartment complex and found Lowe scrolling on his phone, looking at the Washington State Patrol website. The detective wrote Lowe was “rambling” and said he had a seizure before waking up to find his mom dead.

Files was found face down between the wall and bed in her bedroom, according to court documents, and fire department medics told officers there were marks on her neck consistent with strangulation. Her body was still warm, according to the probable cause document, indicating she died recently.

Lowe began to “kick his feet and legs” when officers approached him, the detective wrote, and it took multiple people to put him into handcuffs. At the police department, Lowe spoke rapidly and tripped over his sentences, acting erratic and agitated.

The detective wrote that Lowe sounded “extremely calm” on the 911 call, and when a dispatcher asked if he should start CPR, Lowe said CPR would not be helpful, according to court documents.

Officers got a search warrant and found drug paraphernalia, including baggies and a pipe, in the bedroom, according to charging documents. In the video found on Lowe’s phone, his clothing and body are shown, and Files at one point addresses him as Sean, according to the probable cause document.

In the video, Files repeatedly tells Lowe to leave her alone and says she is afraid of him, a detective wrote. The man in the video said he is god and told Files she would go to hell, according to the probable cause document.

Lowe was previously convicted of third-degree attempted assault on a police officer in 2016.

Files’ death marked the third homicide investigation in King County this year. Alan Jaller-Garcia, 16, was fatally stabbed in the chest Jan. 10 near Tukwila’s Foster High School, and Michael Edward Harris, 53, was killed Jan. 15 by an officer during a traffic stop in Auburn.

According to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, domestic violence deaths spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns between 2020 and 2023. Last year, domestic violence deaths in King County fell by about 35%.

Lowe’s arraignment, when he’ll enter a plea, is set for Feb. 6.

Lauren Girgis: 206-652-6591 or lgirgis@seattletimes.com.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/renton-man-charged-with-murder-of-62-year-old-mother/

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Norway on track to be first to go all-electric

Adrienne Murray, Business reporter, Reporting from Oslo

BBC Norwegian motorist Ståle Fyen smiles as he attaches a charging cable to his electric car
Like a third of Norwegian motorists, Ståle Fyen now drives an electric car

Norway is the world leader when it comes to the take up of electric cars, which last year accounted for nine out of 10 new vehicles sold in the country. Can other nations learn from it?

For more than 75 years Oslo-based car dealership Harald A Møller has been importing Volkswagens, but early in 2024 it bid farewell to fossil fuel cars.

Now all the passenger vehicles for sale in its showroom are electric (EV).

“We think it’s wrong to advise a customer coming in here today to buy an ICE [internal combustion engine] car, because the future is electric,” says chief executive Ulf Tore Hekneby, as he walks around the cars on display. “Long-range, high-charging speed. It’s hard to go back.”

On the streets of Norway’s capital, Oslo, battery-powered cars aren’t a novelty, they’re the norm. Take a look around and you’ll soon notice that almost every other car has an “E” for “electric” on its license plate.

The Nordic nation of 5.5 million people has adopted EVs faster than any other country, and is on the cusp of becoming the first to phase out the sale of new fossil fuel cars.

Last year, the number of electric cars on Norway’s roads outnumbered those powered by petrol for the first time. When diesel vehicles are included, electric cars account for almost a third of all on Norwegian roads.

And 88.9% of new cars sold in the country last year were EVs, up from 82.4% in 2023, data from the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) showed.

In some months sales of fully electric cars were as high as 98%, as new petrol or diesel car purchases almost fizzled out.

By contrast, in the UK electric cars made up only 20% of new car registrations in 2024. Although this was a record high, and up from 16.5% in 2023.

In the US, the figure was just 8% last year, up from 7.6%.

Getty Images An electric vehicle charging station the Norwegian village of Eidfjord
Norway now has a large network of public charging stations across the country

Norway is undoubtedly an EV pioneer, but this electric revolution has been three decades in the making.

“It started already in the early 1990s,” says Christina Bu, the secretary general of the Norwegian EV Association, as she took me for a spin around Oslo in an electric minivan.

“Little by little taxing petrol and diesel engine cars more, so they have become a lot more expensive to purchase, whereas electric cars have been exempted from taxes.”

The support for electric vehicles was first introduced to help two Norwegian manufacturers of early EVs, the Buddy (previously Kewet) and TH!NK City. While they went out of business, the incentives for greener vehicles remained.

“It’s our goal to see that it’s always a good and viable choice, to choose zero emission,” says Norway’s Deputy Transport Minister, Cecilie Knibe Kroglund.

Even though it’s a major oil and gas producer, Norway aims for all new cars sold to be “zero emission”, starting at some point in 2025. A non-binding goal was set back in 2017, and that milestone now lies within reach.

“We are closing up on the target, and I think that we will reach that goal,” adds Kroglund. “I think we have already made the transition for passengers cars.”

Key to Norway’s success has been long-term and predictable policies, she explains.

Rather than banning combustion engine vehicles, the government has steered consumer choices. In addition to penalising fuel fossil vehicles with higher taxes and registration fees, VAT and import duties were scrapped for low-emission cars.

A string of perks, like free parking, discounted road tolls and access to bus lanes, then followed.

By comparison, the European Union plans to ban sales of new fossil-fuel cars by 2035, and the UK’s current government wants to prohibit their sale in 2030.

Petrol and diesel car sales are still permitted in Norway. But few are choosing to buy them.

Getty Images A Norwegian oil rig
Norway’s vast oil and gas exports means it can live without domestic tax revenues from petrol and diesel

For many locals, like Ståle Fyen, who bought his first EV 15 months ago, going electric made economic sense.

“With all the incentives we have in Norway, with no taxes on EVs, that was quite important to us money wise,” he says while plugging in his car at a charging station in the capital.

“In the cold, the range is maybe 20% shorter, but still, with the expansive charging network we have here in Norway, that isn’t a big issue really,” Mr Fyen adds. “You just have to change your mindset and charge when you can, not when you need to.”

Another driver, Merete Eggesbø, says that back in 2014 she was one of the first people in Norway to own a Tesla. “I really wanted a car that didn’t pollute. It gave me a better conscience driving.”

At Norwegian petrol stations many fuel pumps have been replaced by fast-charging points, and across Norway there are now more than 27,000 public chargers.

This compares with 73,699 in the UK – a country 12 times bigger in terms of population.

That means that, per 100,000 people, Norway has 447 chargers while the UK has just 89, according to a recent report.

Tesla, VW and Toyota, were Norway’s top-selling EV brands last year. Meanwhile, Chinese-owned marques – such as MG, BYD, Polestar and XPeng – now make up a combined 10% of the market, according to the Norwegian Road Federation.

Norway, unlike the US and EU, has not imposed tariffs on Chinese EV imports.

Christina Bu Christina Bu, the secretary general of the Norwegian EV Association, stands on a snowy street
Christina Bu says that Norway’s EV revolution has been three decades in the making

Ms Bu says there’s “not really any reason why other countries can not copy Norway”. However, she adds that it is “all about doing it in a way that can work in each country or market”.

Norwegians aren’t more environmentally-minded than people elsewhere, she reckons. “I don’t think a green mindset has much to do with it. It has to do with strong policies, and people gradually understanding that driving an electric car is possible.”

Yet Norway is also a very wealthy nation, which thanks to its huge oil and gas exports, has a sovereign wealth fund worth more than $1.7tn (£1.3tn). This means it can more easily afford big infrastructure-build projects, and absorb the loss of tax revenue from the sale of petrol and diesel cars and their fuel.

The county also has an abundance of renewable hydro electricity, which accounts for 88% of its production capacity.

“A third of cars are now electric, and it will pass 50% in a few years,” says Kjell Werner Johansen from the Norwegian Centre for Transport Research. “I think the government accepts that a few new petrol or hybrid cars will still be on the market, but I don’t know anybody who wants to buy a diesel car these days.”

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg52543v6rmo

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Iraq passes laws that critics say will allow child marriage

Proponents of the amendments – described by activists as ‘disastrous’ – say they align with Islamic principles

Associated Press in BaghdadTue 21 Jan 2025 17.30 EST

Iraq’s parliament has passed amendments to the country’s personal status law that opponents say would in effect legalise child marriage.

The amendments give Islamic courts increased authority over family matters, including marriage, divorce and inheritance. Activists argue that this undermines Iraq’s 1959 Personal Status Law, which unified family law and established safeguards for women.

Iraqi law currently sets 18 as the minimum age of marriage in most cases. The changes passed on Tuesday would let clerics rule according to their interpretation of Islamic law, which some interpret to allow marriage of girls in their early teens – or as young as nine under the Jaafari school of Islamic law followed by many Shia religious authorities in Iraq.

Proponents of the changes, which were advocated by primarily conservative Shia lawmakers, defend them as a means to align the law with Islamic principles and reduce western influence on Iraqi culture.

The parliament also passed a general amnesty law seen as benefiting Sunni detainees and that is also seen as giving a pass to people involved in corruption and embezzlement. The chamber also passed a land restitution law aimed at addressing Kurdish territorial claims.

Intisar al-Mayali, a human rights activist and a member of the Iraqi Women’s League, said passage of the civil status law amendments “will leave disastrous effects on the rights of women and girls, through the marriage of girls at an early age, which violates their right to life as children, and will disrupt the protection mechanisms for divorce, custody and inheritance for women”.

The session ended in chaos and accusations of procedural violations.

“Half of the lawmakers present in the session did not vote, which broke the legal quorum,” a parliamentary official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly. He said that some members protested loudly and others climbed on to the parliamentary podium.

After the session, a number of legislators complained about the voting process, under which all three controversial laws – each of which was supported by different blocs – were voted on together.

“Regarding the civil status law, we are strongly supporting it and there were no issues with that,” said Raed al-Maliki, an independent MP. “But it was combined with other laws to be voted on together … and this might lead to a legal appeal at the federal court.”

Parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani in a statement praised the laws’ passage as “an important step in the process of enhancing justice and organising the daily lives of citizens”.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jan/21/iraq-passes-laws-that-critics-say-will-allow-child-marriage

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Jane Fonda Says Her Fitness Routine Is ‘Everything I Used to Do, Just Slower’ at Age 87 (Exclusive)

“I work out every day, so it is important to mix up the way I move,” the star tells PEOPLE

By Nicholas Rice and  Alex Apatoff | Updated on January 6, 2025 12:48PM EST

Jane Fonda meta Quest/supernatural
Jane Fonda. Photo: meta Quest/supernatural

Jane Fonda‘s fitness routine has remained the same over the years — just at a different pace over time.

“I essentially do everything I used to do, just slower,” the actress, 87, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview.

“I used to be a runner, but now I love walking. I love being outdoors in the woods, especially up and down hills,” she continues.

For Fonda, mixing up how she stays in tip-top shape is important, so she doesn’t get used to the same routine.

“I work out every day, so it is important to mix up the way I move. I alternate days doing upper body and lower body work for strength. I also find some way to get cardio in. Walking outside is one of my favorite ways to do so,” she says.

Jane Fonda SXSW Austin 03 14 24
Jane Fonda in March 2024. Rick Kern/WireImage

Jane Fonda Reflects on Success of Her Iconic Workout Videos as She Teams with H&M Move : ‘I’m Very Proud’

Fonda has been a longtime fitness lover, dating back to the early 1980s, when she released her first exercise video, Jane Fonda’s Workout, which was inspired by her best-selling book, Jane Fonda’s Workout Book.

Looking back at the influence of her popular tapes, which spawned more exercise videos in the years to follow, Fonda tells PEOPLE, “I had no idea my videos were going to become such a phenomenon.”

“When I was starting out, there weren’t many rigorous forms of exercise available to women,” she continues. “I learned the basic workout from a charismatic teacher named Leni Kasden in the ’70s.”

“After the videos came out, I’d get amazing letters from around the world. One was from a young woman in the Peace Corps in Guatemala who did the exercises in her mud hut,” adds Fonda. “Another woman said she looked in the mirror as she was brushing her teeth and noticed new muscles in her arms. She wrote that it made her feel empowered, and that day she went to work and stood up to her handsy boss for the first time.”

Jane Fonda meta Quest/supernatural
Jane Fonda. meta Quest/supernatural

Jane Fonda Talks ‘Really Hard’ Eating Disorder Recovery, Recalls the ‘Toll it Takes On You’

Currently, Fonda is working with Supernatural, a virtual reality (VR) fitness and wellness platform available only on Meta Quest, for a four-part content series.

Each VR fitness class — Flow with Jane Fonda, Box with Jane Fonda & Ludacris, Jane Fonda: Stretching and Jane Fonda: Team Workout — is coached by Fonda herself and features a mix of Supernatural’s signature Boxing and Flow experiences.

“Going from VHS to VR, I was surprised by how easy Supernatural was to pick up,” Fonda tells PEOPLE. “We really bridged the past and future of fitness with this series. Aside from the technology, it felt as if no time had passed.”

One part of the content series that Fonda says she loves especially is the use of music. “Having the right music can make or break the workout, especially in cardio and aerobics,” she explains. “An upbeat playlist is essential. That, and a good attitude.”

“Fitness is such a big part of my life, so to get to do it with today’s technology is a full-circle moment,” adds the activist.

This article was written independently by PEOPLE’s editorial team and meets our editorial standards. Meta is a paid advertising partner with PEOPLE.

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13 Clever Ways to DEAL With TOXIC PEOPLE | STOICISM

00:00 – Intro
01:08 – 1. Identifying and Understanding the Toxic Threat
05:26 – 2. Fortify Your Walls
09:28 – 3. Become Uninteresting to the Emotional Barbarian
13:27 – 4. The Broken Record Technique
17:07 – 5. Don’t Take the Bait
20:42 – 6. The Art of the Non-Reaction
24:59 – 7. Limit Your Exposure
29:34 – 8. Build Your Support System
34:55 – 9. Prioritize Self-Care
40:05 – 10. Remember, It’s Not About You
44:10 – 11. Don’t Try to Fix Them
49:03 – 12. When to Walk Away
53:34 – 13. Forgive Yourself

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Trump moves to make ‘two genders’ and anti-DEI policy official

Mike Wendling | BBC News

Pool/Reuters Donald Trump gestures with a clenched fist, in front of a member of the US military, during the inauguration ceremony.

Donald Trump has moved to change the US government’s policies on gender and diversity, following through on promises he made on the campaign trail.

“As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female,” Trump said during his inaugural address.

The Trump administration indicated he would sign an executive order Monday that would recognise two sexes only – male and female – and declare that they cannot be changed.

The move is part of Trump’s wider promises about what conservatives decry as “woke” culture, gender and diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) progammes.

An administration official said the executive order would “end DEI inside the federal government”, cutting funding to DEI programmes across all agencies and including a review of offices renamed because of DEI initiatives.

The administration did not say whether action would extend to the private sector, with an official saying businesses should “wait and see”.

Several large US companies have ended or scaled back their DEI programmes since Trump was elected, including McDonald’s, Walmart and Facebook parent company Meta.

Others, like Apple and retailers Target and Costco, publicly defended their existing programmes.

DEI supporters see the programmes as a way to correct lingering discrimination based on race, sexuality and other characteristics. The idea received renewed attention in the wake of racial justice protests after the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx84en1yp4o

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New Study Shows Stress-Induced DNA Damage Can Speed Up Aging

By University of Minnesota Medical School

Stressed Worried Male Doctor
New research published in Nature Aging by the University of Minnesota Medical School links social and psychological stress to accelerated aging through shared biological mechanisms.

A study from the University of Minnesota Medical School links social stress to accelerated aging, finding that stress damages DNA and induces cellular senescence in the brain. Future research will explore mechanisms behind these effects and potential protective strategies.

A study published in Nature Aging by researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School explores the connection between stress and aging, focusing on shared biological mechanisms. The research investigates how exposure to social and psychological stressors may speed up aging and impact health, using preclinical models.

The team discovered that social stress triggers neurons in the hippocampus and cortex to exhibit signs of senescence and DNA damage—hallmarks of accelerated aging. This finding provides evidence that stress in social environments can directly contribute to the aging process.

The Inspiration Behind the Study

“This research was inspired by a significant amount of work proving that life stress, social determinants, and low socioeconomic status, in particular, adversely affect health and aging in humans. However, the causal mechanisms are almost impossible to identify in humans,” said Alessandro Bartolomucci, PhD, a professor at the U of M Medical School and senior author of the study. “Our study represents the first step in the quest to identify how life stress can impact aging. The observation that social stressors increase markers of cellular senescence in the brain and other organs, which appears to be driven by DNA damage, among other factors, was a major finding.”

Future research will focus on understanding how stress influences several interconnected biological mechanisms known as hallmarks of aging, and whether targeting these mechanisms could help protect against the adverse health impact of life stress on the aging process.

Reference: “Chronic social stress induces p16-mediated senescent cell accumulation in mice” by Carey E. Lyons, Jean Pierre Pallais, Seth McGonigle, Rachel P. Mansk, Charles W. Collinge, Matthew J. Yousefzadeh, Darren J. Baker, Patricia R. Schrank, Jesse W. Williams, Laura J. Niedernhofer, Jan M. van Deursen, Maria Razzoli and Alessandro Bartolomucci, 11 November 2024, Nature Aging.
DOI: 10.1038/s43587-024-00743-8

Funding was provided primarily by the National Institute on Aging, and the MN Partnership for Biotechnology and Molecular Genomics.

New Study Shows Stress-Induced DNA Damage Can Speed Up Aging

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MIT Physicists Control Magnetism With Light

The researchers used a terahertz laser to control magnetic spin inside antiferromagnetic materials.

By Ryan Whitwam December 23, 2024

MIT terahertz laser

Credit: MIT / Adam Glanzman

Scientists from MIT have been blasting magnets with lasers, which is more scientific than it sounds. Researchers working with antiferromagnetic material have devised a way to control the magnetic states of atoms with a super-fast laser. With the precise control over atomic spin demonstrated in this work, it may be possible to develop a new generation of more durable and efficient magnetic data storage.

Everyone knows what a magnet is, but what about an antiferromagnet? Magnetic materials get their attractive properties from the orientation of atomic spin. In a magnet, the spin is aligned in the same way so the material can be influenced by an external magnetic field. However, an antiferromagnet is composed of atoms with alternating spin—one pointing up, then one down, then up, and so on. This averages out to net zero magnetization.

Researchers have long believed that antiferromagnets could serve as a next-generation alternative to traditional magnetic storage media. However, the problem has always been in how you write data by switching up its magnetic states. That’s where the laser comes in.

This work relies on terahertz lasers, which oscillate more than one trillion times per second. This high-frequency light can be adapted to the natural vibrations of atoms in antiferromagnetic material. Hitting atoms with this laser can nudge them into new magnetic states that persist after the laser is deactivated. The researchers say it’s possible to align atomic spins so precisely that you can “write” data to a specific domain. For example, a spin combination of up-down could be a “0” bit, and down-up can signify the classical bit “

According to the study, which has been published in the journal Nature, the team used a common antiferromagnetic material called Iron phosphorus trisulfide (FePS3). This material transitions to an antiferromagnet at a temperature of -247 degrees Fahrenheit (118 Kelvin). The team sought to influence this process by use of the high-frequency laser. Most solid materials have collective vibrations, called phonons, in the terahertz range. By exciting atoms in this range, the spin can be shifted to create what are essentially tiny magnets within the antiferromagnet that don’t go poof the instant the laser shuts off.

MIT lasers authors

Study authors Tianchuang Luo, Nuh Gedik, and Alexander von Hoegen tinkering with terahertz lasers. Credit: MIT / Adam Glanzman

“The idea is that you can kill two birds with one stone: You excite the atoms’ terahertz vibrations, which also couples to the spins,” says study co-author Nuh Gedik. Researchers have done this before, but the difference with the new work at MIT is that these magnetic properties persist after the laser is deactivated. Previous light-induced transitions have only lasted a few picoseconds.

Showing that this is possible in the lab is an important first step, but we’re a long way from using antiferromagnetic materials for data storage. There’s plenty of reason to pursue this technology, though. Antiferromagnetic storage would not be vulnerable to external magnetic fields, making them much more durable. They would also be much smaller, with greater data density, and they would use very little power compared with traditional media.

https://www.extremetech.com/science/mit-physicists-control-magnetism-with-light

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Scientists Destroy 99% of Cancer Cells in Lab Using Vibrating Molecules

Health25 December 2024 | ByDavid Nield

cancer cellsIllustration of a cancer cell. (Science Photo Library/Canva Pro)

Scientists have discovered a remarkable way to destroy cancer cells. A study published last year found stimulating aminocyanine molecules with near-infrared light caused them to vibrate in sync, enough to break apart the membranes of cancer cells.

Aminocyanine molecules are already used in bioimaging as synthetic dyes. Commonly used in low doses to detect cancer, they stay stable in water and are very good at attaching themselves to the outside of cells.

Cell membrane full diagram
How the vibration mechanism works. (Ciceron Ayala-Orozco et al., Nature Chemistry, 2023)

The research team from Rice University, Texas A&M University, and the University of Texas, said their approach is a marked improvement over another kind of cancer-killing molecular machine previously developed, called Feringa-type motors, which could also break the structures of problematic cells.

“It is a whole new generation of molecular machines that we call molecular jackhammers,” said chemist James Tour from Rice University, when the results were published in December 2023.

“They are more than one million times faster in their mechanical motion than the former Feringa-type motors, and they can be activated with near-infrared light rather than visible light.”

The use of near-infrared light is important because it enables scientists to get deeper into the body. Cancer in bones and organs could potentially be treated without needing surgery to get to the cancer growth.

In tests on cultured, lab-grown cancer cells, the molecular jackhammer method scored a 99 percent hit rate at destroying the cells. The approach was also tested on mice with melanoma tumors, and half the animals became cancer-free.

The structure and chemical properties of aminocyanine molecules mean they stay in sync with the right stimulus – such as near-infrared light. When in motion, the electrons inside the molecules form what’s known as plasmons, collectively vibrating entities that drive movement across the whole of the molecule.

A molecule with green and yellow sections
The structure of an aminocyanine molecule (a molecular jackhammer) overlaid on top of the calculated molecular plasmon. (Ciceron Ayala-Orozco/Rice University)

“What needs to be highlighted is that we’ve discovered another explanation for how these molecules can work,” said chemist Ciceron Ayala-Orozco from Rice University.

“This is the first time a molecular plasmon is utilized in this way to excite the whole molecule and to actually produce mechanical action used to achieve a particular goal – in this case, tearing apart cancer cells’ membrane.”

The plasmons have an arm on one side, helping to connect the molecules to the cancer cell membranes while the movements of the vibrations bash them apart. It’s still early days for the research, but these initial findings are very promising.

This is also the kind of straightforward, biomechanical technique that cancer cells would find it hard to evolve some sort of blockade against. Next, the researchers are looking at other types of molecules that can be used similarly

“This study is about a different way to treat cancer using mechanical forces at the molecular scale,” said Ayala-Orozco.

The research was published in Nature Chemistry.

An earlier version of this article was published in December 2023.

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-destroy-99-of-cancer-cells-in-lab-using-vibrating-molecules#

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Patient care declines after private equity buys hospitals, study finds

by Jacqueline Mitchell, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

hospital patient
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

In a paper published in JAMA, health policy experts at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) report that patient care experience worsened after private equity (PE) acquisition of US hospitals, as did patient-reported staff responsiveness.

Rishi Wadhera, MD, MPP, Anjali Bhatla, MD, and colleagues demonstrated that patient care continued to worsen at PE-acquired hospitals with each additional year following acquisition relative to non-acquired hospitals, suggesting that profit-driven changes made by PE may have downstream effects that accumulate over time.

“Patients provide the most important perspective on whether a hospital is providing good or bad care, as they have a 360-degree view of the entire care experience,” said Wadhera, Associate Director of the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research at BIDMC.

“After private equity takes over a hospital, patient care experience significantly worsens. That’s very concerning, given the surge in PE acquisitions of health care facilities over the past decade.”

Wadhera, Bhatla and colleagues identified 73 US hospitals newly acquired by private equity firms and 293 matched control (non-acquired) US hospitals from 2008 to 2019.

Investigators analyzed whether patients’ overall rating of a hospital and willingness to recommend the hospital, as well as patient-reported staff responsiveness, doctor and nurse communication, and hospital environment changed in the three years after hospitals were acquired by PE compared with a control group of non-acquired hospitals.

The data revealed that global measures of patient care experience and staff responsiveness worsened after PE acquisition of hospitals.

“The relative decline in overall patient care experience scores after PE acquisition was large,” said Bhatla, a research fellow at the Smith Center. “Poor patient experiences are associated with slower recovery from illness, medication nonadherence, and greater health care utilization.”

“The evidence to date suggests that when private equity takes over a hospital, things generally get worse for patients,” said Wadhera, who is also an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School.

“As private equity’s presence in health continues to grow, there’s a pressing need for greater transparency, monitoring, and regulatory oversight, to ensure that patients are protected.”

In 2021, PE investors spent more than $200 billion on health care acquisitions, and $1 trillion in the past decade, according to the Commonwealth Fund, a non-partisan health care policy think tank. Little evidence-based research has evaluated the impact of private equity acquisitions on the patient care experience, an important dimension of care quality.

In a previous study, Wadhera documented a dramatic rise in private equity firms acquiring outpatient cardiology practices in the United States. Wadhera and colleagues noted that PE firms’ disproportionately acquired cardiology practices located in wealthy communities, which may funnel capital and resources away from practices located in underserved communities.

Many PE-acquired cardiology clinic sites changed hands more than once over the 10-year study—a known strategy employed by private equity firms who favor short-term investments over three- to seven-year time periods. Shorter investment timelines incentivize changes in care delivery that maximize profits but could potentially worsen quality of care for patients.

More information: Anjali Bhatla et al, Changes in Patient Care Experience After Private Equity Acquisition of US Hospitals, JAMA (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jama.2024.23450. jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2829041

Journal information: Journal of the American Medical Association 

Provided by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-01-patient-declines-private-equity-buys.html#google_vignette

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Priced out of Seattle rental market, more opt for backyard cottages

Dec. 22, 2024 at 6:00 am Updated Dec. 22, 2024 at 6:00 am
Grandma Patricia Blakely sold her house in Duvall and used the proceeds to build an accessory dwelling unit on her daughter and son-in-law’s Shoreline property. She helps care for 3-year-old Juniper and 1-year-old Rowan. (Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times)
Grandma Patricia Blakely sold her house in Duvall and used the proceeds to build an accessory dwelling unit on her… (Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times)More 

Jessica Fu, Seattle Times business reporter

This story is part of a Seattle Times focus on the affordability crisis in the Northwest. We explore the high cost of living and wealth disparities that shape our region; examine policies that impact prices for everything from housing to health care; and offer tips for making your money go further.

Jason Wood and his wife left Sacramento, Calif., for Seattle three years ago. The couple — a pair of veterinarians with two cats and two dogs — had been considering a change of scenery. When a new job opportunity arose, they decided it was the perfect time to go. During the transition, Wood invited his best friend to join them on the journey.  

“He’s kind of like a brother to me,” Wood, 42, recalled. “We said, ‘We’re moving. Do you want to come with us?’”  

His friend was initially on board — then came the reality of the Seattle rental market. “It’s too expensive here,” Wood said. “With how much money he makes, he cannot afford anything in this city.”  

So, Wood and his wife took out a home-equity loan on their new house in Columbia City and built a detached backyard cottage for their friend to eventually live in.

What they did isn’t exactly unusual. In Seattle and beyond, more people have found that the best place to expand housing options for themselves or others is right in their own backyards.

The single-story structure, completed last year, measures 340 square feet and it is basically a “studio-style apartment.” Wood charges his friend $675 a month in rent, which is a bargain compared with the typical cost of a similar studio at market rate — an average of $1,491 a month, according to an analysis by Apartments.com this month. 

In many ways, the arrangement between Wood and his friend is exactly what policymakers had in mind when crafting Seattle’s current backyard cottage regulations. For years, local lawmakers have touted accessory dwelling units — the technical term for self-contained apartments or houses that are built adjacent to the primary house on a given property, such as the studio Wood built in his backyard — as one way to mitigate the housing shortage. 

“Seattle has a housing crisis, and we have a responsibility to grow the supply of housing options as quickly as possible,” said former Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan in 2019 after signing municipal legislation that loosened restrictions on the development of accessory dwelling units. Before, there had been vocal opposition among some residents against these types of construction. The Queen Anne Community Council, for instance, had argued that such legislation would accelerate gentrification, undermine neighborhood stability and strain shared resources like parking.

In the five years since, the city has seen a major uptick in interest. In 2020, the number of accessory dwelling units permitted jumped over 68% compared with the year before and continued to rise until peaking last year. In the past five years, close to 4,000 permits have been issued for accessory dwelling units, with over 2,000 for detached units and over 1,800 for attached ones. They comprise more than half of the permits issued for accessory dwelling units in Seattle under the current permitting system, according to data that dates back to 1994. (Not all projects that get permitted end up getting constructed.)  

The number of issued permits for ADUs has surged since the change in regulations in 2019.

Note: 2024 data is as of Oct. 17. Source: City of Seattle ADUniverse (Chris Kaeser / The Seattle Times)

“That’s the promise of accessory dwelling units — that people will build housing for friends and family and rent below market,” said Bruce Parker, a designer who has worked in the sector since 2009 and witnessed its rapid growth. 

In September, while introducing new proposals that would incentivize further construction, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell called them “an efficient, sustainable option to address the housing shortage.” 

But this type of housing is far from addressing all of Seattle’s affordable housing needs. Recent estimates project that Seattle will need 112,000 new homes by 2044 to accommodate growth, with 44,000 for residents making less than 30% of the area median income. 

For those building accessory dwelling units from the ground up, the process isn’t always rosy. Wood’s generous project made affordable housing possible for his friend. But it wasn’t exactly seamless for Wood himself. 

Wood had originally estimated that the backyard cottage would cost around $200,000 to construct. In the end, the unit cost between $240,000 and $250,000 to construct due to unexpected costs, including high prices for lumber and concrete. They made up for the difference by dipping into savings. 

Another unexpected cost came in the form of interest rates. When they first moved to Seattle in 2021, the interest on their mortgage was a low 3%. When they took out a home-equity loan to finance the accessory dwelling unit in early 2023, rates were as high as 9%, he said. “We had bad timing.” 

The couple make a combined income of between $350,000 and $400,000 before taxes. Between their house and backyard unit, they now have two mortgage payments totaling close to $7,000 a month. They also make monthly student loan payments. 

The rent Wood charges his friend covers utilities and a monthly King County sewage capacity charge on new wastewater infrastructure. But the rent is far below the monthly payment Wood pays on the unit, around $3,000 a month.

“Rental income is not what we’re getting out of it,” Wood said. “We charge a very low rent to try to help him out a little bit.” 

Still, they have no regrets, and they are thrilled that the city’s accessory dwelling unit laws made theirs possible. If their friend ever moves out, the studio could be a home for family members. Their day-to-day life is better for having their friend so close, in a neighborhood they love. “We’ve got a little commune,” Wood said. 

Multigenerational housing 

For some families, accessory dwelling units make affordable housing possible by allowing members to collectively pool their resources and split costs. 

In 2019, Patricia Blakely, 71, began contemplating her options for moving closer to her children. Blakely owned her home in Duvall, but her daughter wanted her nearby in Seattle. The idea was that in the present, Blakely could help take care of her grandchildren, and in the future, Blakely’s children could help take care of her. 

The family conducted a compatibility trial run in 2020, with Blakely, her daughter and her son-in-law living together in a West Seattle rental house for a year. It worked out well enough that the family decided to commit to living together long-term, and they began looking for houses either with an accessory dwelling unit or the space to build one. 

This arrangement suited Blakely financially, as well. In Seattle on her income — about $2,600 a month in Social Security — she wouldn’t be able to afford her own apartment, not to mention other costs. 

“If I were renting, with the cost of the market in Seattle, my Social Security would barely cover rent,” said Blakely. “I would be tapping my savings all the time.” 

Patricia Blakely, top right, lives in an accessory dwelling unit on the Shoreline property of Sanday and Tim Britewood, her daughter and son-in-law. She helps care for 3-year-old Juniper, already driving, and 1-year-old Rowan. (Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times)
Patricia Blakely, top right, lives in an accessory dwelling unit on the Shoreline property of Sanday and Tim Britewood, her daughter and son-in-law. She helps care for 3-year-old Juniper, already… (Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times)More 

In January 2020, Blakely’s daughter and son-in-law found a house within their budget in Shoreline with a large lot measuring 13,000 square feet. It also included a detached two-car garage, which they immediately began to convert into a detached accessory dwelling unit. 

Construction began in mid-2021 and was completed over a year. In mid-July 2022, Blakely moved into her new home, a one-bedroom house that measures 700 square feet. It has a bathroom, living room, laundry room and “efficient” kitchen. The family also ensured that it was wheelchair accessible. “We built it specifically so that it would be good for me as I aged,” Blakely said. 

The unit ended up costing around $200,000. To finance it, Blakely and her daughter agreed on a specific arrangement beforehand: Blakely would use the proceeds from selling her house in Duvall to pay for initial construction. In exchange for her investment and the value it added to the house, Blakely would then live there rent-free for as long as she liked. 

Since moving in, Blakely’s cost of living has plummeted, given that she no longer pays for housing. Social Security more than covers her other expenses — essentials like car costs and Hulu, she joked — and she typically has some money left over to add to her savings each month. 

“It’s better than I could have hoped for,” she said, reflecting on the financial arrangement. 

Room for growth 

Some Seattleites see in the burgeoning backyard cottage industry an opportunity for work and income. 

Cory Tobin, 35, used to work converting Sprinter vans into campers. In 2020, he and his wife bought their first house in Ballard. Looking out at his backyard one day, he was struck by the idea that it was big enough to fit another house. Having worked as a contractor in the home renovation field, he wondered if he might be able to build it himself. 

Despite a steep learning curve, he completed building the detached accessory dwelling unit in October 2021 — a 1,000-square-foot, two-bedroom, three-bathroom stand-alone house on the alley side of his property. It had a kitchen, living room, office space and even a fireplace. He then created a homeowner’s association between his own house and the detached accessory dwelling unit, split the latter off as its own condo and sold it. (Tobin declined to share how much he made off the renovation and sale.) 

Using the proceeds, he bought another house in Green Lake and repeated the process. In the backyard, he built a stand-alone house. Meanwhile, he split the main house into two apartments, by renovating the basement into a self-contained unit. He rents out both and sold the backyard cottage as a separate condo. 

He repeated the process a third time with another house in Green Lake, completing construction of the detached accessory dwelling unit in March. Turning single-family houses into multifamily condos, enabled by Seattle’s accessory dwelling unit laws, has become his full-time line of work. 

“Relaxing the (detached accessory dwelling unit) regulations in order to create more housing in Seattle is working,” he said. “My most recent property in Green Lake had just one person living in it before I purchased it. Now there are six people.” 

Affordable housing solution? 

While accessory dwelling units have put affordable housing within reach for some, their impact on a larger scale has been less evident.  

“Every unit that is providing housing for someone who isn’t living somewhere else is increasing the regional housing supply,” said Emily Hamilton, senior research fellow and director of the Urbanity Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.  

Hamilton has written extensively about ADU legislation. “And there’s a lot of research showing that increased housing supply improves affordability for people up and down the income spectrum.” 

Backyard cottage construction might ramp up in the coming years thanks to changing legislation. In 2023, the state Legislature passed House Bill 1337, one of the strongest laws in the country in terms of enabling homeowners to build accessory dwelling units. The law would allow for more and larger accessory dwelling units across the state while doing away with restrictions like owner-occupancy requirements and certain parking mandates. 

This new three-home development in Northeast Seattle includes a main house, an attached accessory dwelling unit and a detached accessory dwelling unit. (Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times)
This new three-home development in Northeast Seattle includes a main house, an attached accessory dwelling unit and a detached accessory dwelling unit. (Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times)

Critically, it’ll allow the construction of up to two detached accessory dwelling units per lot. In September, Seattle Mayor Harrell also announced a forthcoming municipal proposal to allow units measuring up to 1,500 square feet each. In general, Seattle code — which must be updated to adhere to state law by June 2025 — currently limits construction to one detached unit and one attached unit, each measuring 1,000 square feet or less. (Alternatively, construction of two attached units is also allowed.) 

But even with strong laws, plenty of obstacles remain in the way of more widespread construction. For existing homeowners, it can be costly to take out a second mortgage to fund additional housing. Today, that can be exacerbated further by persistently high mortgage rates. 

To alleviate these pressures, some banks are adapting to the proliferation of accessory dwelling units by creating dedicated financing for them. In October 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a policy that allows lenders to count income from backyard cottages when underwriting mortgages — a move that agency executives claimed would help homeowners build wealth and communities create affordable housing. 

At the end of the day, the impact of policies encouraging the construction of backyard cottages will depend largely on the scale at which they’re built. And in Seattle, that scale remains relatively small.  

As Hamilton pointed out, construction of accessory dwelling units comprises a fragment of total homebuilding compared with that of multifamily units. So far this year, 741 ADUs have been permitted. By contrast, 4,569 units in multifamily buildings were permitted between January and October this year, according to preliminary data from the Census Bureau’s building permits survey. 

Each individual accessory dwelling unit could make a world of difference for the person moving in — be that a best friend, family member or homeowner creating an income stream. But the broader ramifications so far appear to be more muted in Seattle, Hamilton said. 

“If we were to look at a chart of total housing supply, ADUs aren’t making a huge difference in that.” 

Jessica Fu: 206-464-8502 or jfu@seattletimes.com. Jessica Fu is a Seattle Times business reporter covering the affordability crisis.

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/priced-out-of-seattle-rental-market-more-opt-for-backyard-cottages

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Fitness Level Matters More Than Weight for Longevity, Study Finds

By Alyssa Hui | Published on January 16, 2025 | Fact checked by Nick Blackmer

senior man running
andreswd / Getty Images
  • Being physically fit is more important than your body weight in lowering the risk of death and heart disease, a recent study found.
  • Aerobic fitness reflects how well the heart, lungs, and muscles work together, while BMI only measures weight and height, making fitness a better indicator of overall health.
  • To improve your fitness, experts recommend picking feasible movements for your body and doing it consistently.

Being in shape has a greater impact on heart health and longevity than the number on the scale, according to a recent study. 

People considered fit, regardless of their body mass index, had a similar risk of death as fit people with a normal BMI, researchers reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in November. In addition, overweight or obese individuals who were fit had a lower risk of death than unfit people with a normal weight.1

“The risk of being unfit far exceeds the risks of carrying some extra pounds,” Siddhartha Angadi, PhD, senior author of the study and a cardiovascular exercise physiologist at the University of Virginia, told Health in an email. “Too many folks simply view exercise as a means to expending calories whereas exercise is a powerful tool for improving cardiorespiratory, muscle, and metabolic health, and often these benefits occur even in the absence of weight change.” 

The study’s results bolster claims by many researchers and medical providers that BMI—a calculation that compares someone’s weight to their height—is a flawed way to assess obesity and, by extension, health risk. In a report published Tuesday in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, an international commission argued that obesity should be assessed not by BMI alone but by taking into account various factors, such as a person’s medical conditions.2

Measuring Fitness and Health Risk 

Angadi and his colleagues conducted a detailed review and combined results from multiple studies, allowing them to gather data from almost 400,000 people to see how BMI and fitness are linked to the risk of death. 

In most studies, people were considered fit if their VO2 max was higher than 20% of others in their age group. VO2 max doesn’t factor in BMI but instead evaluates how well the heart and lungs deliver oxygen to the muscles during exercise and how efficiently the muscles use that oxygen, Angadi said. 

To determine participant VO2 max, researchers use an exercise test—something you can do at home. (Some fitness trackers also measure VO2 max via heart rate data.)

Fit individuals, regardless of whether they were overweight or obese, had a similar risk of death as fit individuals with normal weight. On the other hand, unfit people, those with lower VO2 max, had a two to three times higher risk of dying from any cause of heart disease, regardless of their weight. 

The findings show that being in shape, with a higher VO2 max, may be more important for lowering the risk of death than just focusing on how slim you are.

“People should recognize that fitness is more than just a number on the scale (which isn’t even a measure of fitness),” Angadi said. “Nearly 100% of weight loss attempts fail after five years, and people may abandon exercise programs simply because they do not see the number on the scale change.” 

The study has some limitations, however, including that it didn’t break down the data by age or consider how long someone has been overweight or obese, which is increasingly common in younger patients, Diana Patterson, MD, orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician at Stony Brook Medicine, told Health. 

Furthermore, the study mainly included people from North America and Europe. Further research should explore whether this relationship is the same in populations like South Asia, China, and Africa, Angadi added.

Why Aerobic Fitness Is An Important Longevity Factor

Aerobic fitness reflects how efficient your body systems are. When you’re fit, your blood circulates more efficiently, your muscles are stronger, your heart and lungs work effectively, and your brain receives the nutrients it needs, Megan Wroe, MS, RD, wellness manager and Registered Dietitian at the Providence St. Jude Medical Center, told Health. 

Wroe said these factors provide a clearer picture of health than your weight. “To use weight and height as an indicator of health doesn’t make as much sense as how the physical systems are actually working,” she added.

BMI can also be misleading because people with significant muscle mass may have a higher BMI even though they’d still be considered fit, Patterson said. 

However, she added, BMI shouldn’t be completely discounted. Research shows that elevated BMI is a risk factor for specific health conditions that affect overall mortality, which is “still an important correlation without perhaps direct causation.”

How To Increase Aerobic Fitness

Patterson said improving your aerobic fitness can be simpler than you think. It starts with small, manageable steps. She recommends setting easy, achievable goals. 

For example, begin with a 20-minute walk instead of aiming for a marathon. If joint pain is an issue, walk around in a pool instead of going for a run, which is easier on the knees but can still provide a good workout. 

Another way to build aerobic fitness is to stay consistent, Wroe said. “Start moving. Pick literally any movement that is feasible for your body and do it consistently every single day,” whether that’s multiple 10-minute walks or a few squats.

Once you get moving and stay consistent, you can gradually work toward the recommendations in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, Wroe said.

The guidelines suggest that adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiorespiratory exercise weekly or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise weekly.3

“Even going for brisk walks most days of the week can impart health benefits,” Angadi said. “The sweet spot for moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise is an intensity where you notice your breathing but are not out of breath.”

Edited by Jani Hall

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Delayed Brain Maturation Links Genetics and Eating Disorders

January 10, 2025

Summary: Over half of 23-year-olds display restrictive, emotional, or uncontrolled eating behaviors, with delayed brain maturation playing a significant role. The research linked structural brain differences, mental health challenges, and genetic predispositions to the development of disordered eating behaviors from adolescence to adulthood. MRI data showed delayed cortical thinning in unhealthy eaters, especially in regions like the cerebellum, which regulates appetite.

Restrictive eaters exhibited higher levels of dieting, while emotional/uncontrolled eaters displayed increased binge eating and mental health symptoms over time. These findings suggest targeted interventions that address mental health and eating behaviors could mitigate risks and improve outcomes.

Key Facts

  • Delayed Brain Maturation: Reduced cortical thinning in unhealthy eaters linked mental health and genetic risks to disordered eating.
  • Distinct Behavioral Trajectories: Restrictive eaters dieted consistently, while emotional/uncontrolled eaters exhibited increased binge eating during adolescence.
  • Appetite Regulation: Reduced cerebellum maturation explained links between genetic BMI risks and restrictive eating behaviors.

Source: King’s College London

More than half of 23-year-olds in a European study show restrictive, emotional or uncontrolled eating behaviours, according to new research led by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London. Structural brain differences appear to play a role in the development of these eating habits.

The study, published in Nature Mental Health, investigates the links between genetics, brain structure and disordered eating behaviours in young people.

Researchers found that the process of ‘brain maturation’, whereby the volume and thickness of the cortex (the outer layer of the brain) decreases during adolescence, is a factor in whether teenagers develop restrictive or emotional/uncontrolled eating behaviours in young adulthood.

This shows a brain, food, and silverware.
In particular, reduced maturation of the cerebellum – a brain region that controls appetite – helped explain the link between genetic risk for high BMI and restrictive eating behaviours at age 23. Credit: Neuroscience News

Restrictive eating behaviors, such as dieting and purging, involve the deliberate limitation of food intake to control body weight and shape.

In contrast, emotional or uncontrolled eating behaviors, like binge-eating, are characterised by episodes of consuming food in response to negative emotions or compulsive urges.

The researchers analysed data from 996 adolescents in the IMAGEN longitudinal cohort in England, Ireland, France and Germany. Participants provided genetic data, completed questionnaires about their wellbeing and eating behaviours, and had an MRI scan at ages 14 and 23.

At age 23, participants were categorized into three types of eating behaviors: healthy eaters (42 percent), restrictive eaters (33 percent), and emotional or uncontrolled eaters (25 percent).

The study found that the three groups had different patterns of mental health and behaviour over time.

Young people with unhealthy eating behaviours (restrictive and emotional/uncontrolled) at age 23 had higher levels of both internalising problems (for example, anxiety or depression) and externalising problems (for example, hyperactivity, inattention or conduct problems) at age 14, compared to healthy eaters.

Internalising problems significantly increased with age between 14 to 23 among unhealthy eaters. Although externalising problems decreased with age in all groups, overall levels were higher among those with emotional or uncontrolled eating. 

Restrictive eaters dieted more throughout adolescence compared to healthy eaters. Emotional/uncontrolled eaters increased their dieting between ages 14 to 16 and binge eating between ages 14 to 19, compared to healthy eaters. Unhealthy eating behaviours were linked with obesity and increased genetic risk for high BMI. 

Researchers analysed Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data at 14 and 23 years to investigate brain maturation over time and how much the volume and thickness of the cortex had decreased.

Results indicated that brain maturation was delayed and less pronounced in unhealthy eaters. It played a role in the link between mental health problems at age 14 and development of unhealthy eating behaviours at age 23 and this connection was unrelated to BMI.

Reduced brain maturation also helped explain how genetic risk for high BMI influences unhealthy eating behaviours at age 23. 

In particular, reduced maturation of the cerebellum – a brain region that controls appetite – helped explain the link between genetic risk for high BMI and restrictive eating behaviours at age 23. 

The research, which received funding from the Medical Research Foundation, Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, highlights how brain maturation, genetics and mental health difficulties interact to contribute to eating disorder symptoms. 

Xinyang Yu, PhD student at King’s IoPPN and first author of the study, said: “Our findings reveal how delayed brain maturation during adolescence links genetics, mental health challenges and disordered eating behaviors in young adulthood, emphasising the critical role of brain development in shaping eating habits.” 

Dr Zuo Zhang, Research Fellow at King’s IoPPN and co-author of the study, said: “By showing that different unhealthy eating behaviours are linked to differential trajectories of mental health symptoms and brain development, our findings may inform the design of more personalised interventions.”

Professor Sylvane Desrivières, Professor of Biological Psychiatry at King’s IoPPN and senior author of the study, said: “Our findings highlight the potential benefits of improved education aimed at addressing unhealthy dietary habits and maladaptive coping strategies. This could play a crucial role in preventing eating disorders and supporting overall brain health.” 

About this neurodevelopment, eating disorders, and genetics research news

Author: Milly Remmington
Source: King’s College London
Contact: Milly Remmington – King’s College London
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News

Original Research: Open access.
“Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study” by Sylvane Desrivières et al. Nature Mental Health

Abstract

Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study

Unhealthy eating, a risk factor for eating disorders (EDs) and obesity, often coexists with emotional and behavioral problems; however, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are poorly understood.

Analyzing data from the longitudinal IMAGEN adolescent cohort, we investigated associations between eating behaviors, genetic predispositions for high body mass index (BMI) using polygenic scores (PGSs), and trajectories (ages 14–23 years) of ED-related psychopathology and brain maturation.

Clustering analyses at age 23 years (N = 996) identified 3 eating groups: restrictive, emotional/uncontrolled and healthy eaters. BMI PGS, trajectories of ED symptoms, internalizing and externalizing problems, and brain maturation distinguished these groups.

Decreasing volumes and thickness in several brain regions were less pronounced in restrictive and emotional/uncontrolled eaters.

Smaller cerebellar volume reductions uniquely mediated the effects of BMI PGS on restrictive eating, whereas smaller volumetric reductions across multiple brain regions mediated the relationship between elevated externalizing problems and emotional/uncontrolled eating, independently of BMI.

These findings shed light on distinct contributions of genetic risk, protracted brain maturation and behaviors in ED symptomatology.

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Walking just 5 minutes a day makes a difference

By Julianna Bragg, CNN

Updated 12:36 PM EST, Fri January 10, 2025

Photo illustration by CNN/Getty Images

Taking a five-minute walk each day could provide health benefits and support future exercise goals.CNN — 

With the start of the new year, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by unrealistic goals and fitness trends.

But you don’t need to follow those fads. Research shows that even a short amount of walking — one of the most accessible forms of exercise — can help set you up for success when working toward other fitness achievements.

Research shows that 11 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per day may lower your risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease or premature death. Does that sound like too much to start? Even as little as five minutes of walking per day could provide some health benefits, according to Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver.

Just getting started

Freeman recommends aiming for 30 minutes of daily exercise, ideally brisk walking paired with weightlifting to create a high-intensity training program. But he said he knows that a structured workout of that length isn’t always feasible, especially for those in the early stages of their fitness journey.

The key is to make movement a regular part of your day, which is why Freeman suggests people engage in any form of exercise, even if it’s incorporating a five-minute walk into your routine.

Katy Milkman, James G. Dinan Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, explains that making bite-size goals is essential for creating momentum for larger resolutions.

Psychologically, smaller tasks are easier to achieve, so pushing yourself to take a five-minute daily walk is easier than trying to complete a 35-minute walk once, Milkman said.

Even with a five-minute walk, the most important part of any fitness goal, according to Freeman, is finding time to weave it into your daily routine, which is why it’s important to start small and focus on simplicity.

For some, doing so might be as basic as parking farther away when heading to the gym or mall to increase your step count. If you’re in a parking garage, it can also be a good idea to take the stairs to increase your heart rate, Freeman said.

When making plans, CNN fitness contributor Dana Santas, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports, suggests asking friends to go for a walk instead of meeting for dinner or drinks.

Freeman also recommends completing your quick walk — or whatever form of exercise brings you joy — first thing in the morning to start your day with positive movement. And for coffee lovers, Freeman said a walk can energize you just as effectively as one cup of your favorite brew.

When it comes to forming a new routine, it’s important not to make excuses, especially when trying to get steps in during the winter months.

“Most malls open their doors early (before the actual stores open) to let walkers get their steps in by doing laps around the interior levels of the mall,” Santas said via email.

Walking isn’t just good for your body; it’s also great for your mental well-being. Not only can it help break addictions such as smoking, Freeman said, but a walk can also help reduce anxiety and depression, especially for people who might be dealing with grief.

While the holiday season is over, walking is also a good way to decompress from family gatherings and celebration stressors.

Building on your routine

Sorrasak Jar Tinyo/Moment RF/Getty Images

To increase the difficulty of daily walks, experts recommend adding weights for resistance and walking quickly enough to be out of breath.

As confidence in your walking routine grows, you should aim to increase the intensity and length of your workout. Freeman suggests focusing on exercises that make you “huff and puff” for the most noticeable health benefits.

“You see these people (at the gym) do a couple of reps, chat, take a rest and have a drink,” Freeman said. “You really want to keep going for 20 or 30 minutes straight.”

Combining weight training and cardio is a beneficial way to include both elements in your daily routine.

Based on how the activities work different parts of your body, Freeman said he likes to explain cardio as a short-term investment in your health, while weight training is a long-term one because of how metabolically active people’s muscles are.

To include weight training on your walk, Freeman recommends eventually adding a weighted backpack to your routine. If you want to keep it simple, use any backpack you have at home, and fill it with old books to load it down.

Other ideas might include wearing wrist, arm, shoulder, ankle or leg weights to create resistance for an additional challenge.

“If (people) can keep this (routine) up for usually two to three weeks, it becomes a habit (they) want to keep doing,” Freeman said.

Like any other form of exercise, taking the time to practice and perfect your walking form can improve the safety and efficacy of your workouts, according to Santas, and it’s a simple way to challenge yourself.

For people who want to incorporate longer walks into their daily or weekly routine, Freeman recommends walking with others to make the experience more enjoyable.

If you don’t have people in your corner to join you, programs such as Walk With a Doc offer free community walks guided by physicians to create a casual and supportive environment for people to work on their healthy habits together.

Solo exercisers might find personal motivation with an engaging podcast or audiobook as well as a guided meditation to make their walks feel effortless.

“If you get really into a story … you could probably walk an entire park, end up right where you started, and not even know you did it,” Freeman said.

It’s important to remember that the smaller the commitment, the more likely you are to follow through, Milkman said. As you add more to your routine, start slow and think about where you might be able to squeeze some quick yet beneficial movements into your practice.

For those just starting to incorporate more exercise into their routine, it’s all about sitting less and moving more. Some workouts can even be completed from the comfort of your couch while watching an episode of your favorite TV show, Santas said via email.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/01/10/health/walking-fitness-new-years-resolutions-wellness

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