BAY CITY, MI When John Sharp and his wife Sherrylearned that the Dow Bay Area Family Y was hosting a health and wellness fair, they had several reasons to attend. The Sharps, who left Bay City in 1994, recently moved back to the area and were looking for a fitness center to join in addition to learning about health issues and opportunities.

"It's really educational, and I learned a lot of things about health that you might not realize," Sherry Sharp said. "This was alsoan opportunity for us to see the Y, and the facility reallyis beautiful."

The Dow Bay Area Family Ypartneredwith the Bay City branch of the NAACP to providea free health and wellness fair at the Y, 225 Washington Ave., on Monday, Aug. 27. The eventbegan at 2:30 p.m. and runs until 6:30 p.m.

Linda Lones, community outreach and communications director for the Y, said that shehopes the health and wellness fairdraws at least onethousand people to the facility.

"Mondays are the busiest days, and we are hoping for a good turnout," Lones said. "On a normal day, there are around 3,000 program participants, members and visitors with day passes at the Y."

The health and wellness fair featured free fitness classes taught by Y instructors and interactive experiences with 43vendors from local groups andhealth organizations.

"All the vendors have a passion for healthy living," said Cait Chojnacki,health and wellness director for the Y. "The organizations are across the spectrum when it comes to mind, body and spiritual wellness."

Jennifer Miles of Clifford represented Saginaw Valley State University's occupational therapyprogram. Miles emphasized the importance of preventive care and said that therapy is a rewarding field to work in.

"Nothing beats the look you see on the face of a senior citizen who can stand up from a chair on their own after a hip replacement," Miles said. "It's a look of hope."

The health and wellness fair was an opportunity to educate visitors about health issues throughout Bay County, and within the minority population, said Darold Newton, president of the Bay City branch of the NAACP.

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Health and Wellness Fair draws crowd at Dow Bay Area Family Y

Circumcision Benefits Trump Risks, Pediatricians Say

For the first time in more than a decade, the American Academy of Pediatrics is modifying its stance on circumcision. Research shows that the health benefits of circumcising baby boys outweigh the risks, but the "benefits are not great enough to recommend routine circumcision," the group said in a new policy statement. The decision should be left up to each individual family. And those who choose circumcision, as most U.S. parents do, should be reimbursed by insurance, the AAP said. In its updated policy, the AAP highlights the medical benefits of circumcision, such as a protective effect against human papilloma virus, HIV, genital herpes, and syphilis, as well as a reduced risk of penile and prostate cancers. The risks are limited to bleeding or mild infection. However, the procedure does cause pain. "I couldn't consciously do that to my child," Meredith Lovell-Thayer, a 27-year-old apprentice midwife from Frostburg, Md., told The Baltimore Sun.

College Fitness: 5 Tips for Staying in Shape

Many college freshmen are flocking to campuses this month, in cars packed with dorm accessoriesand perhaps tearful parents. After students say goodbye to their families and hello to their new roommates, the enormous lifestyle changes of college life will start setting in: Tougher classes. All-nighters. Shared rooms. Parties. Because of these newfound freedoms, distractions, and a slowing metabolism, it's common for students to become unhealthy and perhaps gain weight. Some may know it as the dreaded Freshman 15, others as the Freshman 25.

"In high school, [students] may have played sports or taken P.E. classes, so they had activity built into their lives," says Dixie Stanforth, fitness expert and lecturer in the University of TexasAustin's kinesiology and health education department. Now, she says, students have many more decisions that they're allowed to make on their own. "Nobody's telling them to study; Nobody's telling them to exercise and eat right," notes Stanforth. "[Before college], they didn't get to choose Wendy's for lunch."

By exercising regularly and eating healthfully, both freshmen and older college students can stay fit. Here are some tips:

1. Make a plan. Stanforth suggests students map out a specific fitness schedule at the beginning of the semester. "If all I do is think, 'Oh, I really should exercise,' [then] I'm not going to exercise," she says. "It's just not going to happen." [Read more: College Fitness: 5 Tips for Staying in Shape]

Restaurant Calorie Counts: Will They Change the Way You Order?

I remember taking a trip to visit relatives in California, and going out to breakfast at a popular chain restaurant, writes U.S. News blogger Melinda Johnson. I was in the mood for pancakes. But when I opened my menu, I was hit smack between the eyesby the calorie count listed next to my breakfast of choice.

Being a registered dietitian, you'd think I wouldn't be shocked by the amount of calories in an order of blueberry pancakes. But I wasn't wearing my work hat when I sat down to breakfast, and something about that high number in black and white made me cringe. I'm not a calorie-counter to begin with, and I have no problem indulging in my favorite treats now and then. Still, seeing that number did make me reconsider breakfast. All of the sudden, my "splurge" seemed more extravagant, and less worth it. I changed my mind about what to order, and decided on something a bit more sensible. In short, the restaurant labeling did the job it was meant to doit swayed the behavior of a consumer toward a healthier choice.

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Health Buzz: Circumcision Benefits Outweigh Risks

HEALTH HAPPENINGS

Send information about free or low-cost health-related events open to the public 10 days ahead of publication. Information can be emailed to calendar@bradenton.com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Back-to-school immunizations: Manatee County Health Department, 410 Sixth Ave. E., Bradenton; 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Ages: 18 and younger. Cost: free. No appointments necessary. Information, 941-748-0747, ext. 1269, or visit http://healthmanatee.org.

H2U programs: These events are offered by H2U, an adult health and wellness organization sponsored by Blake Medical Center. The Cortez Center is at 6670 Cortez Road; the Bayshore Center is at 6049 26th St. W. For more information, call 941-792-0211; for reservations, call 888-359-3552.

n How to talk with your doctor: Learn how to get the most from your doctors' appointments at 2 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Bayshore Center and 2 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Ellenton Center.

n Conversations to have with your children: How to approach and get your message across; 11 a.m. Aug. 30 at the Bayshore Center.

n Low back pain: Learn the latest treatmentoptions and things you can do at home to help with the pain at 3 p.m. Sept. 4 at the Cortez Center.

n H2U information:Learn about benefits of the H2U program, including hospital VIP benefits at Blake, presentations,regular activities, exercise and travel; 2 p.m. Sept.13 at the Ellenton Center.

n ABC's of caregiving: Learn about normal age-related memory loss, reversible causes for dementia, irreversible dementias, what are the warnings signs and what to do if you have them; 2 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Cortez Center.

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Health happenings calendar: Aug. 28

BAY CITY, MI

The Dow Bay Area Family Y andBay City Branch of the NAACP are working together to improve community health.

The organizations are providing a free health and wellness fair todayat the Y, 225 Washington Ave., from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The health and wellness fair features free fitness classes taught by Y instructors and interactive experiences with vendors.

We hope that people learn the value of preventive health and learn about what their community has to offer when it comes to health and wellness," said Cait Chojnacki, Health and Wellness Director at the Y.

McLaren Bay Regional Health, the Bay County Health Department and other localhealth organizationswill be on hand to answer questions and provide information on a variety ofwellnessissues.

Topics includepreventive health practices for common illnesses, preventive measures for the elderly, addressing common diseases in the minority population, womens mens and teen health issues and the importance of diet and exercise.

Blood pressure readings andvision screenings are available.

"It is so often that we go through life conducting our day to day activities that we seemingly neglect our health and well being, but our health is just as important as our jobs, our children and our homes that need continuous maintenance," said Darold Newton, president of the Bay City NAACP branch."Without our good health mental and physical none of the aforementioned can be properly attended to."

Schedule of Try Before You Buy free fitness classes:

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Dow Bay Area Family Y partners with Bay City NAACP for health and wellness fair, free fitness classes today

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Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Fitness at Middle Age Leads to Lower Risk of Chronic Disease in Senior Years

Even study participants who died had fewer chronic ailments to the end

Aug. 27, 2012 - A new study declares that fitness in middle age points to less chronic health problems in later life. And, even those who died in old age, seemed to have less of these chronic ailments right up to the end. The study involved both senior men and women, older than 65, who were Medicare patients.

The study was published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. But, the findings came with a caution flag waved in a commentary by Diane E. Bild, M.D., M.P.H., of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

The research was by Benjamin L. Willis, M.D., M.P.H., of the Cooper Institute, Dallas, and colleagues. They examined the association between midlife fitness and chronic disease outcomes later in life by linking Medicare claims with participant data from the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study, a large group of individuals who were examined at the Cooper Clinic from 1970 to 2009.

The study of 14,726 healthy men and 3,944 healthy women, with an average age of 49, when they entered the study, used eight chronic conditions (CCs) for the analysis: congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer disease, and colon or lung cancer.

In the present study, higher fitness measured in midlife was strongly associated with a lower incidence of CCs decades later, the authors note.

With a median follow-up of 26 years, the highest level of midlife fitness was associated with a lower incidence of CCs compared with the lowest midlife fitness in men 15.6 vs. 28.2 per 100 person-years and in women 11.4 vs. 20.1 per 100 person years, according to the study results. Age- and sex-specific quintiles of fitness were based on treadmill times.

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Fitness at Middle Age Leads to Lower Risk of Chronic Disease in Senior Years

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Double Shot Interview: Diana Crossan, Retirement Commissioner with Amanda Morrall - Video

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Transamerica Retirement Services announced today that it will host a webinar for third party administrators and financial advisors that covers the governments current legislative landscape on retirement plans, and how this affects financial professionals and retirement plan sponsors. The webinar will be hosted by Jeanne de Cervens, vice president and director of federal government affairs for Transamerica, on September 18 at noon Eastern Time.

Ms. de Cervens will provide insight on many topics surrounding retirement plans, including tax reform, Multiple Employer Plans, mandatory retirement plan coverage proposals, workplace initiatives, and what the insurance and retirement plan communities are doing to protect tax incentives.

Transamericas Speakers Bureau is a wonderful opportunity to hear from thought leaders in the retirement plan arena, said Stig Nybo, president of Transamerica Retirement Services. I anticipate this webinar will be popular with TPAs and financial advisors, as Jeanne is sure to provide engaging and insightful commentary on a wide range of issues facing policymakers in the months to come.

Jeanne de Cervens is an attorney based in Washington, D.C., and serves as the chief government liaison for Transamerica regarding federal tax, insurance and retirement security issues. She interacts with U.S. Congress Members and federal regulatory agencies, trade associations and financial services organizations. She has been involved in legislative, regulatory and employee benefits issues for more than 20 years, and serves on the Board of the Tax Coalition, a non-partisan organization promoting the exchange of ideas among professional women in federal tax policymaking.

Ms. de Cervens represents Transamerica in various coalitions and groups focused on developing broader policy initiatives impacting the retirement plan business, including the Conversation for Coverage and the Global Coalition on Aging.

Third party administrators and financial advisors can register for the webinar by calling Transamerica at (888) 401-5826 and selecting option one, Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

About Transamerica Retirement Services Corporation

Transamerica Retirement Services Corporation (Transamerica or Transamerica Retirement Services), which is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, designs customized retirement plan solutions to meet the unique needs of small- to mid-sized businesses. Transamerica and its affiliates have more than 17,0001 retirement plans totaling more than $20 billion1 in assets. For more information about Transamerica, please refer to http://www.TA-Retirement.com.

1As of December 31, 2011.

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Transamerica Retirement Services to Host “Legislative Landscape for 2012 and Beyond” Webinar on September 18

A single financial misstep right before retirement can mean the difference between peace of mind and constant money worries in later years.

Misinterpreting a spouse's retirement dreams, failing to plan for emergencies and spending too much are just a few of the mistakes folks approaching retirement may make.

Below, financial advisers weigh in on how to avoid these and other mistakes before you turn in your office I.D.

1. Failing to coordinate

Certified financial planner Christine Fahlund recalls one couple she worked with: The husband thought he had diligently prepared for retirement, including regularly crunching numbers on an online retirement-planning calculator. In his calculations, the husband assumed his wife would retire in six years while he would retire right away.

[More from WSJ.com: How to Avoid Medicare Land Mines]

But once he retired and reminded his wife of their "plan," she was livid. Turns out she had told him several years earlier that she "might" be willing to work six years longer, but had since decided she was no longer willing to do so. The husband ended up going back to work.

To avoid such confusion, as early as five years before retirement, couples should write down their plans and answer questions such as when they'd each like to retire, where each would like to live, what each wants to continue doing in retirement and what new activities each wishes to pursue.

They'll want to revisit these plans annuallyespecially during the six months prior to either spouse's retirement dateshe says.

2. Not expecting the unexpected

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Avoid These Common Pre-Retirement Blunders

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Aug. 27, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Traveling everywhere with our laptops has become a way of life, which also makes laptops a target for theft. Did you know that one out of every ten laptops gets stolen, that means a laptop is stolen every 53 seconds! Scary statistics, and a good time to revisit some simple steps you can take to make your laptop more secure when traveling. The Personal Technology Experts at Support.com (SPRT), a provider of technology services and software for consumers and small businesses recommend the following:

1. Avoid Laptop Bags: Almost 12,000 laptops are lost or stolen in U.S. airports each week. To make your laptop less of a target, skip a typical laptop bag and instead try carrying your laptop in a padded briefcase, suitcase or backpack.

2. Free Wi-Fi Means More Risk: Many public wireless networks are relatively unsecure, and all users should be extra careful before connecting their laptop to a free network. If you must connect to a free network, here are 6 steps to connect to a wireless network safely. Instead of accessing a free network, you may be able to use an Internet USB dongle, or some providers like T-Mobile offer mobile hotspot services that let you access the Internet on your laptop with your mobile device.

3. Security/Anti-Theft Program: Install a security program that allows you to track/recover your laptop if lost or stolen. A well-known program is LoJack for Laptops.

4. Backup Data Before You Travel: Back up your data before you travel, it will be there if your laptop gets stolen! For those who travel a lot, consider an online data backup service that offers 24/7 access to all your files.

5. Encryption for Added Protection: Encrypting data on your laptop ensures that it can be accessed or read only by you -- a good idea if it falls into the wrong hands!

Finally, never leave your laptop unattended in hotel rooms or rental cars!

About Support.com Support.com, Inc. (SPRT) provides technology services and software for consumers and small businesses. Support.com(R) Personal Technology Experts provide a quick, cost-effective and stress-free technology support experience over the Internet and the phone using the Company's advanced technology platform. Support.com also offers a wide range of easy-to-use software products that detect and repair common computer problems and optimize performance and security. Support.com offers programs through many of the nation's leading retailers, broadband service providers and technology companies, and provides software to over a million consumers and small businesses. For more information please visit us at: http://www.support.com, http://www.facebook.com/support.com, or http://twitter.com/support_com.

The Support.com, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=11893

Support.com, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information, visit http://www.support.com/about/careers.

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Personal Technology Experts(R) at Support.com Offer Five Tips to Make Your Laptop More Secure for Traveling

Jan Vertonghen admitted his performance in Saturday's 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion was pleasing but was dissatisfied with the result.

The Belgian defender made his Spurs debut after signing from Ajax earlier this summer and impressed in defence with his attacking style although the North Londoners could not get the win as the Baggies netted an injury-time leveller at White Hart Lane.

"I was pleased with my performance," said Vertonghen.

"I did a few good things, a few bad things, but we cannot be happy with the result.

"I like getting forward. I can drive the ball into midfield. That's what the manager has asked me to do.

"We have a home game against Norwich next Saturday and we have to win that one. It would be good for our confidence."

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Personal performance pleasing but Vertonghen unhappy with Tottenham result