At The Human Condition, we like to provide commentary on the week's news and events as they relate to medicine, health, and life. Sometimes, however, there are news stories for which no comment is necessary. This is one such story.

From NYMag.com: 

There's lots of blame to go around in this current credit crisis: predatory lenders, borrowers outreaching their grasp, lax government regulators. President Obama and Congress are trying to pass legislation that makes it safer for consumers—and hopefully more stable for the future economy—by putting more stringent restrictions on credit companies.

However, all this benevolent legislation might not stand a chance against your brain. Or so says new research examined in the latest Newsweek.com health feature:

It turns out, in some cases our brains are wired to fall into these kind of financial traps. Study co-author, Duke cognitive neuroscientist Scott Huettel, says that when making risky financial decisions, "We do not consider all of the potential probabilities, benefits and costs." Instead, our brains seek out a way to simplify these complex problems. Oversimplifying, however, "may go against the most rational choice," says Baba Shiv, a marketing professor at Stanford's business school. For instance, we may shop for mortgages based solely on finding the best introductory rate, and then be vulnerable to exorbitant reset rates and other hidden fees down the road.

At first glance, the sad news of Exodus Tyson's accidental hanging via treadmill sounds like a bizarre, tragic freak accident. And while the severity of her story is extreme, it does highlight some of the dangers grown up tech toys can pose to small children. More importantly, it underscoring the sad fact that home can be one of the most dangerous places for kids. "Children are much more likely to be injured in the home than any other location," says Dawn Lee Garzon, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Nursing and child safety expert. "And injury is the leading cause of death, disability, and hospitalization of young kids."

By Raina Kelley

If you had told me last week that I would see a reality TV show that had empathy as one of its main goals; I would have called you a knucklehead.  Empathy is the mortal enemy of reality shows:  if you feel bad for a person forced to live without arms and legs, your inability to help that person will eventually keep you from watching that show ever again.  Better to make your audience feel guilt instead.  Guilt is more easily managed, especially when it’s paired with pleasure.  A person could watch hours of Jerry Springer and not feel an iota of empathy.  That why I fear for the survival of  A&E’s new show, Obsessed.

Do Virtual Girls Face Real Danger? Here's a shocker: girls with sexier avatars, or online representations, are more likely to get sexual come-ons while online. Girls who design their online personas to have skimpy wardrobes and curvy figures are also more likely to be preoccupied with sex, according to the journal Pediatrics. The study also speculates—without studying—that these girls are more likely to experiment with sexual activity at an earlier age. That's a bold claim to make without testing: who's to say that a little online sexual role play isn't helping teenage girls curious about sex fulfill that curiosity in a safer way? The increased sexual attention is something to consider when talking with your daughter about her online persona, and it makes sense to educate kids on the main dos and don't of online conduct. And while I'm disheartened by how sexualized society is for even younger kids, I'd like to see more research before we universally clutch our pearls over the way kids these days themselves online, even if that expression sometimes comes in the form of pixilized T&A. It's not the computer, it's the culture, with a good dose of human nature thrown in: just ask Barbie, who for years has been playing out some of the weirdest sexual situations in suburban playrooms across the country.  (U.S. News and World Reports)

A Really  Useful Engine Thomas the Tank Engine is a favorite among children living with autism, thanks his broad facial expressions and simple plot lines. Now educators are trying to harness the popularity of the anthropomorphic engine to help children with autism better identify emotions. An Australian web site unveiled a new virtual Thomas the Tank Engine game that asks users to guess how characters from the popular TV show are feeling, based on the expressions on their faces. (CNN.com)

Women's Struggle With Prostate Cancer When men undergo treatment for prostate cancer, it's the women in their lives who face a long recovery. A new study from New York's Mount Sinai Medical Center find that partners of men with prostate cancer worry about the disease long after the men have moved on. Worrying women are part of the reason why married men live longer: it means there's someone on their case to make sure they make it to doctor's appointments and take their medication. But worrying can take a toll on the woman's health, since too much stress can lead to medical problems. Gentlemen: be willing to listen to your wives—and discuss your health with them—even after you've been treated and "cured" of a dangerous disease. Ladies: learn to let go, and realize there's only so much you can do. Everyone: maybe enjoy a nice glass of wine and a romantic dinner with your partner? (MSNBC) 

A Glass of Milk A Day Keeps Alzheimer's Away? An article in the latest issue of Journal of Alzheimer's Disease indicates that several risk factors for the disease may also be linked to a vitamin D deficiency. Scientists recommend  more research between that studying the link between Vitamin D, found in dairy products, and Alzheimer's, noting that a lack of vitamin D has "been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, depression, dental caries, osteoporosis, and periodontal disease, all of which are either considered risk factors for dementia or have preceded incidence of dementia." Vitamin D is believed to have a neuroprotective effect in humans. (With that, I feel I have fulfilled my obligations to the science news cycle. I like to think I fit somewhere between the newswires and "the Internets".) (Eurekalert)

Those of you who caught me on Public Radio International's The Takeaway earlier this morning may want to take a look at these articles, which discuss the issues surrounding Daniel Hauser and Alexander Draper more in-depth. (Those who missed me live can hear the segment by visiting The Takeaway's website: just click the first link). 

Towards the end of the interview, host Faria Chideya asked whether those living in poverty were more likely to be singled out for scrutiny by the Department of Social Services. In the car ride back (thanks, pledge dollars!) I had more time to think about her question, which seemed to ask whether or not there was a certain amount of discrimination against poorer, often African-American families. (The interview experience was kind of like giving birth; I've somehow blocked out most of it. When the broadcast replays around 8.40, I'll be sure to listen to clarify the question and her intent.)

It's true that families living in poverty are more likely to be brought up on charges of medical neglect. But I think that's in large part because these families are more likely to be working with social service organizations already, and therefor "on the radar" when things go wrong. The doctors they visit have significant experience dealing with social services, so are more likely to take steps—and know which steps to take—when it appears a child is being medically neglected.

In my mind, the major discrimination occurs in the resources available for struggling families to care for sick kids: government -provided health care can only do so much if you don't have a reliable means of transportation to get to the doctor's office, especially if the only doctor that will take your government-provided insurance is all the way across town. More importantly, since America is the only wealthy nation that doesn't guarantee any kind of paid sick leave, parents struggling to make ends meet often have to decide between taking their child to the doctors or missing a day's pay, and too many absences - even to take your child for necessary medical care—can lead to termination. It's hard to pay for medicine when you're unemployed.

Having a sick kid is a big job, one that requires time even more than money (since there are social services that can help fund the treatment of children if finances are an issue). And for parents working hard just to stay solvent, time is something they can't afford.