A drink a day for people over 55 substantially reduces the risk of premature death, according to a study published in the March issue of The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

This week’s update from the Ms.Fits, our home team competing in Live Healthy Iowa, proves that individual differences have a lot to do with how people respond to lifestyle changes. The team wins a gold medal for activity, logging more than 60 hours last week. That’s impressive by any measure. Unfortunately, a few of the team members have seen some of the weight they lost earlier creep back. That’s discouraging, of course, but it doesn’t mean they can’t lose it again and keep it off.

One of the Ms.Fits, Sue, is still on track to reach her goal of losing 21 pounds over the 100-day challenge. She’s down 17 pounds, with 4 more to go.

Since she has tried diets and exercise programs before to lose weight and been frustrated and ultimately disappointed with the results, PDQhealth asked her what seems to be working for her this time around. She pointed to five strategies that, together, are making it easier to lose weight and stick with the program.

There’s nothing pretty about the current economic slump, including statistics coming out of plastic surgeons’ offices. Cosmetic procedures are way down, suggesting that the effects of the recession may not only far-reaching but also skin deep.

Like your tea piping hot? Beware: served too hot, tea or other beverages may raise your risk of thoat and esophageal cancer.

Okay, so life isn’t always fair. This week, our home team, the Ms.Fits, outdid themselves, racking up 61 hours and 10 minutes of activity–more than six hours per team member. Bravo! Unfortunately, the team also gained seven pounds. Ouch. A couple of things worth noting. Exercise builds muscle. So even when weight remains the same (or edges up) the ratio of muscle to fat may be improving. You may not weigh less, but you look and feel better. What’s more, exercise has big health benefits whether or not your lose weight. Okay, so that’s scant consolation to people determined to slim down. We encourage them to remember: weight loss is a slow, unsteady process. There are ups and downs along the way. Continue making healthy food choices and being as active as you can be, and chances are you’ll start to see progress again. Good luck!

You’re hungry, you’ve only got a limited amount of time, and the only option in sight is a fast-food joint. Sure it’s convenient. But a new study shows that having a fast food outlet nearby could also increase your risk of getting fat.

Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, strikes more than 62,000 Americans every year. Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center report the discovery of a genetic variation linked to a nearly four-fold increase in melanoma for women under 50.

Does your face flush red when you drink alcohol? Take heed: Facial flushing is a sign of increased cancer risk–and one very good reason to ease up on booze.

What’s the ideal body weight? To find out, researchers at the University of Oxford looked at body mass index and longevity in a vast analysis of 900,000 adults. Read this before you reach for that sugary snack.

Spring is making its first tentative appearance in Iowa, greeted with a hearty welcome from the Ms.Fits. “I’m hoping that the weather change will encourage us to move our walk outdoors,” says Kim, the team leader. She is definitely enjoying being more active even if she’s frustrated by her own on-again, off-again attempts at losing weight. Every little bit helps, we say.PDQhealth offers a hearty congratulations to the team for another great week: they racked up a total of 40 hours, 10 minutes of activity and lost another 4 pounds–even before the weather turned warm.