The Nutritional Challenges of Advanced Age

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The study focused exclusively on adults 80 and older, a group with very different dietary requirements than younger adults. As people age, the body goes through significant physiological changes. Energy expenditure decreases, and losses in muscle mass, bone density, and appetite are common. Together, these changes increase the risk of malnutrition and frailty.

Most evidence for the health benefits of diets that exclude meat comes from studies of younger adults rather than frail older populations. Some research suggests older non-meat eaters face a higher risk of fractures due to lower calcium and protein intake.

In later life, nutritional priorities shift. Rather than focusing on preventing long-term diseases, the goal becomes maintaining muscle mass, preventing weight loss and ensuring every mouthful delivers plenty of nutrients. Study finds vegetarians over 80 less likely to reach 100 -The Conversation. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260225081214.htm “Study finds vegetarians over 80 less likely to reach 100.” ScienceDaily. (accessed February 27, 2026).

Story Source:

Materials provided by The Conversation. Original written by Chloe Casey, Lecturer in Nutrition and Behaviour, Bournemouth University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

How Not To Invest – A Lesson From The University of Chicago

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CRSP’s origins date back to the 1960s. Its initial goal was to build a database of historical stock prices. This is harder than it might seem. Before trading was computerized, stock prices were maintained on paper. And when stocks split or companies merged, that added to the complexity.

Despite this seemingly dull mandate, CRSP has played an important role in the development of modern finance over the years. Most notably, the efficient market hypothesis and the capital asset pricing model were both made possible by CRSP data. And today, many of the world’s largest index funds, including Vanguard’s Total Stock Market Fund, are built on CRSP indexes. Endowment Lessons https://humbledollar.com/2026/02/endowment-lessons/

This article by Adam M. Grossman uses the University of Chicago’s financial struggles as a cautionary tale for individual investors.

Key Lessons for Individual Investors

  • Spending: Avoid “Keeping Up with the Joneses”
    • The university invested heavily in new buildings and programs to maintain its “eminence” without securing corresponding revenue.
    • Takeaway: Financial success depends on income exceeding expenses. Operating costs of new assets (like large homes or complex projects) must be planned for in advance.
  • Saving: Beware of Recency Bias
    • During a 15-year market boom, the university ramped up debt rather than stockpiling resources.
    • Takeaway: Investors often falsely assume current trends will continue forever. Use periods of market strength to re-balance portfolios and manage risk rather than increasing lifestyle or debt commitments.
  • Investing: Complexity vs. Simplicity
    • Performance: UChicago’s endowment returned 6.7% annually over 10 years, trailing a simple Vanguard Balanced Index Fund (VBIAX), which returned 8.2%.
    • Liquidity: The university locked over 60% of its funds into illiquid assets like private equity and real estate, making it difficult to cover cash flow needs.
    • Takeaway: High-fee, complex, and illiquid investments often under-perform simple index funds. If elite institutions with dedicated investment offices “are having second thoughts” about private equity, the message for individual investors seems clear.

This summary was produced by Gemini AI and edited by yours truly.

Here’s a link to an article on the sale of CRSP. Morningstar Completes Acquisition of CRSP and Extends Relationship with Vanguard https://newsroom.morningstar.com/news/news-details/2026/Morningstar-Completes-Acquisition-of-CRSP-and-Extends-Relationship-with-Vanguard/default.aspx

High Altitude and Diabetes Risk (in mice)

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In findings published in Cell Metabolism, the team demonstrated that red blood cells can alter their metabolism when oxygen levels drop. This shift allows the cells to deliver oxygen to tissues more efficiently at high altitude. At the same time, it lowers circulating blood sugar, offering a potential explanation for reduced diabetes risk. Gladstone Institutes. “Scientists discover why high altitude protects against diabetes.” ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260221060952.htm (accessed February 21, 2026).

Journal Reference:

  1. Yolanda Martí-Mateos, Zohreh Safari, Shaun Bevers, Ayush D. Midha, Will R. Flanigan, Tej Joshi, Helen Huynh, Brandon R. Desousa, Skyler Y. Blume, Alan H. Baik, Stephen Rogers, Aaron V. Issaian, Allan Doctor, Angelo D’Alessandro, Isha H. Jain. Red blood cells serve as a primary glucose sink to improve glucose tolerance at altitude. Cell Metabolism, 2026; DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2026.01.019

Scary Charts 02.02.26

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The jobs market is starting to show hard-to-ignore cracks – https://www.axios.com/2026/02/05/jolts-data-december-jobs-market

US employers cut more jobs last month than in any period since 2009. More than 100,000 workers were fired at Amazon, UPS, and Dow, and hiring was the slowest for any January on record, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The low-fire, low-hire dynamic that has kept the US labor market in an anxious balance appears to have tipped. US layoffs in January hit highest monthly record since 2009 – https://www.semafor.com/article/02/05/2026/us-layoffs-in-january-hit-highest-monthly-record-since-2009

Yikes.

The Edge

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The Edge

My takeaways:

The first takeaway is about the mindset. Winning requires staying in the present. When you lose nearly half the points you play, the past offers no help. Dwelling on past mistakes only distracts from the real goal, which is to win the match. We cannot change what has happened, and we cannot control what comes next. Stay present, follow the process, and let the result take care of itself…The idea of edge applies directly to our lives. Life is made up of thousands of decisions taken over decades. A small edge in how we make those decisions quietly stacks the odds in our favor.

Take health. Lifting weights a few times a week, walking a few miles a day, eating reasonably well, and sleeping enough each give us a small edge. We are not competing with anyone else here. We are competing against chronic diseases. These habits do not guarantee outcomes, but they help us avoid most of the problems that are within our control, and leave the rest to chance. None of these decisions matter much on their own. Taken together over years they matter a lot.

Nice article, wonderful insights. Now go read the entire article.

Medscape on Obesity – 02.08.26

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  Prescribing GLP-1s After 65? Read This First  
  Beyond BMI: New Tool Flags Hidden Metabolic Risk  
  Is Fat Loss Overrated for Metabolic Health?  
  Digital Tool + Meds Delivered 10%+ Weight Loss  
  Sleep Patterns Tied to Post-Bariatric Surgery Outcomes  
  Discussing Pathways for Patients With Obesity and Depression  
  Trending  
  Do GLP-1s Damage Muscle?  
  What Your Glutes Say About Diabetes Risk  
  Scary Risk That Can Sneak Up on GLP-1 Users  

Chronic Pain? Check This Out

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Curiosity is not a curse. I’ve been expanding my knowledge base this morning.

As I have written before, the key to treating chronic pain often lies in therapies designed to dampen the brain’s response to pain signals. In treating my own chronic pain, I benefited greatly from a mindfulness therapist who helped me develop techniques to redirect thoughts and feelings of pain, push them out of my body. In my case, I met virtually with the therapist, who expertly sussed out my situation and tailored her advice to my needs. She worked at Duke University, in one of their pain clinics, and was an expert at helping people like me. This Online Program Could Be The Solution To Your Chronic Pain – https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterubel/2026/02/07/this-online-program-could-be-the-solution-to-your-chronic-pain/

Here’s the link to Telehealth and Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy–Based Treatments for High-Impact Chronic Pain A Randomized Clinical Trial – https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2836795 Conclusions and Relevance  Remote, scalable CBT-CP treatments (delivered either via telehealth or self-completed modules online) resulted in modest improvements in pain and related functional/quality-of-life outcomes compared with usual care among individuals with high-impact chronic pain. These lower-resource CBT-CP treatments could improve availability of evidence-based nonpharmacologic pain treatments within health care systems.

Here’s the link to the online resource quoted in the Forbes article https://mypaintrainer.org/login-to-paintrainer/

Full disclosure:

I’ve had chronic pain since 1976 (or was it 1977?) when I had a near fatal encounter with a fast moving car while walking home. I don’t take any pain medications other than the occasional ibuprofen. I have been using an online pain management resource courtesy of my employer (not the resource linked above). A DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) and health coach are part of the resources at my disposal. I haven’t used any ibuprofen in quite some time, if that tells you anything.

I will be exploring https://mypaintrainer.org/login-to-paintrainer/ more but at the time of this writing have not looked into their services.