Yes, the blockbuster movie “Avatar” used animals, but the animals weren’t used. They were treated nicely! The film received American Humane’s highest rating — Monitored: Outstanding / No Animals Were Harmed. “American Humane applauds ‘Avatar’ director James Cameron and the production for earning our highest rating by ensuring the safety of the animals used in the filming,” said Karen Rosa, vice president of American Humane’s Film & TV Unit. She added that PETA was apparently unaware that live animals were used in the film for motion capture. How did the animals figure in with the making of “Avatar”? So that movements and expressions could be captured, human performers in “Avatar”... [Read more]

Are homeless animals heroes? I think so. It takes a lot of courage to be a pet without a home of your own, but you can help in a couple of ways during the Purina ONE Tour for Heroes, ending on February 26. During the tour, Purina ONE will be helping pets in need with adoption events and temporary food banks. If the tour is in your area, please visit. Upcoming stops include HALO Animal Rescue in Phoenix on February 9, the Houston Humane Society on February 12 and the Humane Society of Broward County in Fort Lauderdale on February 16. Read the complete list of tour stops. And, since Martha Stewart is assisting with the effort, you may also help from the comfort of your own home or office. Visit MarthaStewart.com/pet-adoption and share the profile... [Read more]

Researchers now say they’ve confirmed that maternal age is linked with a significantly elevated risk of autism in children. And the father’s age may not matter as much as previously thought. The research from the University of California – Davis was published online today in the February issue of the journal Autism Research. The study is important since it’s one of the largest to quantify how each parent’s age (separately and together) impacts the risk of autism in children. The risk of having a child with autism increased by 18% for each five-year increase in maternal age. This means that a mom aged 40 is 50% more likely to give birth to a child later diagnosed with autism than a mom aged 25 to 29 years. Janie... [Read more]

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help reduce symptoms of menopause for women, but those using estrogen-only HRT may be more at risk for developing asthma. The finding came from a new, large-scale study published in the journal Thorax. Participants included 57,664 women taking part in a French study. Every two years between 1990 and 2002, the women, born between 1925 and 1950, were asked about their use of HRT and development of asthma symptoms. None of the women in the study had asthma when their menopausal symptoms started. Almost 9.4% of women in the study with natural menopause and 28% of women with surgical menopause took HRT containing estrogen alone. Study findings on Estrogen-only HRT and Asthma Connection: Women who used HRT were... [Read more]

No, it’s not a magical Frosty the Snowman type thing, but cold weather can make you gain weight. And that weight gain, however small, may creep up on you over the years, putting you at risk for obesity. There are several different ways that cold weather may contribute to gaining weight, and once these methods are exposed and swimming around in your thoughts, you may avoid them. For the skinny on weight gain in the winter, read Tom Venuto’s article below. He’s the author of The Body Fat Solution, a book which takes a look at weight gain from many different angles (including emotional or psychological), not just the purely physical take. After reading, leave a comment if you’re surprised by any of the insights on weight... [Read more]