By Barry A. Franklin

Michigan lawmakers are making difficult choices regarding our states budget for the coming year. A huge portion of Michigans annual budget is spent on health care and chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, which make up most of the states health care expenditures.According to Gov. Rick Snyders office, the cost of treating coronary heart disease in Michigan -- the most prevalent and preventable form of heart disease -- exceeds $5.9 billion a year. Heart disease accounts for one of every six health care dollars spent.

The astronomical costs related to chronic conditions are certainly unsustainable, especially as our state works to balance budgets in tough financial times. But these costs dont take into account the devastating human costs. Cardiovascular disease causes one in three deaths in Michigan. In very real terms, that is a grandparent taken before he sees his grandson graduate from high school,a mother who will never help her daughter pick out a prom dress, or an uncle who is so disabled he is unable to play ball with his only niece.

Chronic illness can often be prevented by choosing a healthier lifestyle by increasing physical activity, consuming more fruits and vegetables and stopping -- or never starting -- tobacco use.

Anyone who has ever tried to take off a few pounds or begin a new workout routine knows that it can be difficul.We need the support of our families, our communities, our health care providers and even our state to make these cardio-protective lifestyle changes. Snyder has proposed a program to help empower individuals to make healthier choices and prevent chronic disease. The governors 4x4 Plan addresses obesity and other risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease by encouraging individuals to know their numbers: blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels and body mass index. They must also maintain a healthy diet, engage in regular exercise, get regular physical exams and avoid tobacco use and secondhand smoke.Snyder proposes to help fund local coalitions to develop local, evidence-based interventions for addressing obesity and chronic illness and to promote healthier choices through public awareness campaigns.

As a 32-year volunteer leader with the American Heart Association, a member of the AHA National Board of Trustees and Administrative Cabinet, and a health care professional, I am acutely aware of the potential benefit of the governors proposal. You can imagine my concern when I saw that the state House and Senate both removed the funding for this critical prevention program. The governor proposed a mere $2.25 million in funding for the 4x4 Plan, which is a reasonable investment when one considers the financial and human costs from obesity and chronic disease in Michigan.

Final decisions on the budget have not yet been made, and our legislators can still choose to restore the funding for the 4x4 Plan and other prevention programs coordinated through the Michigan Department of Community Health.

Cardiovascular risk reduction saves lives and improves health outcomes. Many health risks can be avoided or minimized through good judgment and personal responsibility in behaviors, habits and lifestyles.This is challenging work that must be addressed throughcollaboration at all levels of government, the private sector, communities and individuals. If we each practice the 4x4 plan, our lives will be fuller, our state health costs will be reduced and our ability to take advantage of all that is good in Michigan will be enhanced. I urge all Michigan lawmakers to work together to make prevention a priority and help provide us with the tools we need to feel empowered to make these life-saving changes.

Barry A. Franklin, Ph.D., FAHA is the director, Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation at Beaumont Health System and professor, Internal Medicine Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.

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GUEST OPINION: Restore funding to governor’ health fitness plan

Imagine zooming around the .875-mile track of Iowa Speedway.

Now imagine doing it with the force of 800 pounds pushing you sideways nearly the entire way for 250 laps.

Thats what it will be like for IndyCar drivers during the sixth running of the Iowa Corn Indy 250 on Saturday night.

Unseen to the casual race viewer is just how tough it is to drive an open-wheel machine at speeds between 110 and 140 miles per hour. While drivers are in a seated position for the races two-hour duration, theyre doing an immense amount of work. If its a hot day on the track, the toll it takes on the body and the mind is amplified.

At the start of the race, your heart rate is up and a lot of it is nerves. Even on the road courses, said 25-year-old Marco Andretti, winner of last years Iowa Corn Indy 250. After the first four laps, youre like, Theres no way Im making it to the end.

A lot of it is mental. Youre driving up on the wheel. Youre close to the people. Once the race strings out, you calm down and dont hold as much on the wheel. Its unbelievable how much further you can exert yourself.

A big part of what makes an IndyCar race so physically demanding is the G-force exerted on each driver. G-force, a term familiar to military jet pilots, is a measure of stress on a body during rapid acceleration. Its the same force one feels while spinning on a tilt-o-whirl. One G is the force of gravity, the weight you feel standing around. During the turns of an IndyCar race, that force is significantly multiplied.

At the Indianapolis 500, the average winning speeds are around 180 mph. In pole qualifying, speeds are in excess of 220. Andretti won last years race at Iowa Speedway with an average speed of 118.671 mph, while pole qualifying speeds are often in excess of 180.

Its in the turns that G-force comes into play. On a straightaway, drivers are at 1 G. They can relax a bit, check gauges and take time to breathe. Indianapolis Motor Speedway a 2.5-mile rectangular oval features long straightaways with seven to eight seconds between turns. Drivers feel forces greater than 1 G for 50 percent of the lap, and peak at 4 Gs.

But at Iowa Speedway, the only straight part of the track is a short portion of the 869-foot backstretch. Other than that, drivers are in a near-constant turn. Drivers feel more than 1 G of force for only 25 percent of the lap, but will consistently hit G-forces over 5. At 5 G, a 200-pound person is being pushed sideways at 1,000 pounds.

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Health, fitness are key for IndyCar drivers on and off the track

Special events to highlight renovations and programming, feature giveaways

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Life Time Fitness (NYSE:LTM):

Life Time The Healthy Way of Life Company (NYSE: LTM) will host a special grand reopening weekend celebration at its newly remodeled health and fitness center in Plantation Point June 23-24. Formerly a Lifestyle Family Fitness club, Life Time Fitness Plantation Point has undergone a remodeling effort designed to bring the facility to Life Time standards of quality and member experience. In addition, the center now makes it easier for members to reach their goals by offering distinct, innovative programs that help connect them to their passions.

Grand opening to feature tours and demonstrations that highlight Life Times state-of-the-art amenitiesincluding complimentary towel service, new, state-of-the-art equipment, programming and services:

In celebration of the grand opening, consumers may establish a new membership with special offers June 23-24, 2012.

To learn more about Life Time Fitness Plantation Point, visit.

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Grand Reopening Weekend Set for Newly Remodeled Life Time Fitness Plantation Point Center June 23-24

Ongoing

Sports camp: The Providence Catholic School's athletic department will hold summer camps in basketball, volleyball, soccer and softball for girls in fourth through 11th grade. Visit http://www.providencehs.net for camp description, times and fees.

Food addicts: Are you having trouble controlling your eating? Regular meetings of Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous can be found at http://www.foodaddicts.org. 210-561-1809 or 210-310-4609.

Daily exercise: The Lions Field Adult Center, 2809 Broadway, offers a free daily exercise class 9 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. The class incorporates stretching, toning, floor exercises and some dance. 210-826-9041.

Diva program: This nutrition and exercise program for women with breast cancer is designed to reduce side-effects during treatment. It includes tai chi, Zumba, nutrition counseling, yoga and aerobics. For a complete schedule, go to http://thrivewell.org/diva/.

Health resource directory: Find support groups, fitness, nutrition, crisis support, homebound aid, marriage enrichment, social groups and more. Go to http://www.C-Capacity.com for more information. Free.

Mental health support group: The St. George Episcopal Church Mental Health Family Support Group meets the second Wednesday of the month. 7 p.m., St. George Episcopal Church, 6904 West Ave., Castle Hills. Call 210-342-4261 for more information.

Yoga workshops: H.S. Arun from Bangalore, India, leads classes in Iyengar yoga. Various times. The Synergy Studio, 300 E. Grayson St., Suite 100. For more information, call 210-824-4225 or go to thesynergystudio.com. $40 per session.

Mondays

Qigong & gentle movement: Mary Martha McNeel leads this class at 5:30-6:30 p.m. inside the Angelique Garden Room at the Incarnate Word Retirement Center, 4707 Broadway. For more information, call 210-829-7561. Free.

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Health & Fitness

Last week, I had the good fortune to attend a Retirement Issues program hosted by the National Press Foundation in Washington D.C. Along with a contingent of fellow journalists, I listened to the thoughts of influential policymakers, financial planners, retirement industry execs and the senior adviser to the Secretary of the Treasury about the state of America's retirement.

A recurring message imparted by the speakers over the course of four days: America is in a retirement crisis. It was enough to set us reporters and editors on edge about our own prospects for a successful retirement.(But I couldn't help notice that most of the male speakers were well into their 60s, and one was either a septuagenarian or an octogenarian. Evidently, retirement experts themselves are in no hurry to retire.)

The first speaker, Diane Oakley, executive director of the National Institute on Retirement Security, began by citing a frightening statistic: 6 out of 10 households within 10 years of retirement have saved the equivalent of one times their salary or less. She is a proponent of traditional pension plans and spoke about the progress that states have made over the past two years to shore up their underfunded pensions. In 2010 and 2011, 41 states have made changes: 26 restructured employee contributions, 24 raised the retirement age and service requirements (in other words, cut benefits), and 18 reduced cost of living adjustments, she said.

So I had to find out her reaction to the Pew report released earlier this week, which my colleague Jennie Phipps blogged about. The report found a $1.38 trillion gap in fiscal year 2010 between states' assets and their obligations for retirement benefits in the public sector. The report cited "serious concerns" about pensions in 32 states, while 7 states were found to "need improvement," and only 11 were "solid performers."

Oakley said the Pew report fails to take into account the recent changes made by the states. "When the Pew report makes a pension-funding diagnosis using just your pulse and blood pressure from two years ago, it would be wise to get a more up-to-date opinion," she says.

For instance, both the Utah and Idaho state pension plans were downgraded from star performers to the "needs improvement" category, she notes. Utah has "made drastic changes" in its plan's benefit structure, yet was still downgraded in the report. Idaho's downgrade is particularly irksome to Oakley because its long-term funding practices have been exemplary. "Idaho is one state that has not made plan changes because they have been doing the right things year in and year out for the decade we looked at their plan."

Oakley's stance on pensions has not wavered since last week, when she said states will continue to take steps toward long-term sustainability of their plans and that these plans will continue to recover.

"Fine tuning may still be needed, but we are making progress that is not reflected -- and Pew acknowledges this -- in the results of the Pew study," she says.

Meanwhile, many of us who don't have pensions are in worse shape. "Last week, the Federal Reserve Bank released its wealth and income data from the Survey of Consumer Finances, and this highlighted to me the broad underfunding of retirement security in America that is not covered in the Pew report," says Oakley. "The median 401(k) account balance was down to only $44,000 and was less than one times the median income level. That account value is nowhere near what is needed to pay bills throughout retirement and remain self-sufficient."

What wouldbe better for your retirement planning -- a regular pension paycheck or a retirement account you can manage for yourself?

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America’s retirement crisis

(MoneyWatch) Working longer is now the "go to" strategy for affording retirement, as cited by many Americans in recent surveys. But it begs an important question: How much longer do you need to work?

One answer comes from a recent thought-provoking bulletin by Boston College's Center for Retirement Research (CRR). The bulletin describes the National Retirement Risk Index (NRRI), a measure of Americans' ability to retire at different ages. The index considers retirement savings, pension benefits, and home equity, as reported in the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, and the amount of Social Security benefits someone might expect to receive at each possible future retirement age.

The NRRI then calculates when a person can retire and still maintain the same standard of living they enjoyed before retirement. That calculation factors in that their income and payroll taxes decrease, they're no longer saving for retirement, and that they've often paid off their mortgage.

Delaying retirement? Here's how to make it work A retirement plan for the working 99 percent Retirement planning: Just tell me what to do

For households headed by someone age 62, the NRRI indicates that less than one-third of people -- only 30 percent -- have sufficient financial resources to retire and maintain their standard of living. Of these households, 60 percent are covered by a traditional defined benefit pension plan.

For households headed by someone age 65, 49 percent of today's working households will have sufficient assets to retire and maintain their standard of living in retirement. The percentage of people who can afford to retire increases to 86 percent if they wait until age 70 to retire, leading the CRR to conclude that the vast majority of households will be ready to retire by age 70.

So according to the NRRI, you won't have to work forever -- just five more years after age 65. And this is consistent with my own analysis in a previous post, A retirement plan for the working 99 percent.

Before you decide you can afford to retire at age 70, though, you'll want to understand the assumptions that the CRR makes to develop its retirement index to see if the above conclusion might apply to you.

First, in assessing if people can afford to retire at age 70, the CRR assumes that you'll start your Social Security benefits at 70, the age that generates the highest amount of benefits. In reality, three-quarters of Americans start Social Security at age 62, the earliest possible age with the lowest amount of benefits. The NRRI also takes into account the prevalence of traditional defined benefit income. If you have a significant pension from such a plan, that's great, but if you don't, it's a strike against you.

Third, the NRRI assumes you'll buy an immediate, inflation-adjusted lifetime annuity with your retirement savings -- a strategy I agree with. Most Americans, however, don't buy such an annuity; instead, they use various methods of drawing down their retirement savings that produce different amounts of retirement income, with people who draw higher amounts running the risk of outliving their assets.

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How much longer do you need to delay retirement?

Retirement benefits for state and local employees have come under enormous funding pressure because of the recession, slow recovery in tax receipts, and cutbacks in federal stimulus and support spending. The 2010 shortfall in public pension and healthcare benefits was nearly $1.4 trillion, according to a report from the Pew Charitable Trusts. That's the difference between what the states have on hand and the benefit obligations they have promised to pay retirees.

[See Top-Rated Funds by Category Ranked by U.S. News Mutual Fund Score.]

The retirement prospects of public employees are, of course, directly affected by the adequacy of retirement benefit funding. But the health or weakness of state retirement benefits also affects a state's broader tax and spending environment. States with well-funded retirement systems are less likely to boost taxes on their residents than states with public retirement programs in poor financial shape. If you're nearing retirement, a state's fiscal health may play a big role if you're considering moving to a place.

Pew says 2010 is the most recent year when it could review data on all 50 states. It notes that nearly every state took steps in 2011 and 2012 to narrow its pension shortfall and that many acted on healthcare benefits as well. "States have responded with an unprecedented number of reforms that, with strong investment gains, may improve the funding situation they face going forward," Pew says, "but continued fiscal discipline and additional reforms will be needed to put states back on a firm footing."

Pensions. States set aside funds to cover future pension obligations. Pew says states' total funding shortfall for pensions was $757 billion in 2010. Closing that gap would mean states had achieved 100 percent coverage of their pension obligations. Pew and other experts say adequate pension funding should achieve at least an 80 percent ratio of pension plan assets to retiree payment obligations.

[See Avoiding Common Investing Mistakes.]

Here are the 10 states with the highest percentage of funded pension obligations in 2010:

Wisconsin: 100 percent

North Carolina: 96 percent

South Dakota: 96 percent

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State Retirement Benefit Gap Getting Wider

By Satyajit Das, derivatives expert and the author of Extreme Money: The Masters of the Universe and the Cult of Risk (2011)

Jonathan Fenby (2012) Tiger Head, Snake Tails: China Today, How It Got There and Where It is Heading

Robert Frank (2011) Who Repod My Jet: the manic millionaires, and why theyll lead us to the next boom and bust

John Coates (2012) The Hour Between Dog and Wolf: Risk Taking, Gut Feelings and the Biology of Boom and Bust

Personal relating to an individual or what serves the interest of that individual. Personality distinctive assemblage of qualities which defines an individual, frequently in modern life conflated with celebrity. These three books deal with the personal and personality in the financial world.

In an increasingly crowded list of books purporting to explain China, Jonathan Fenbys Tiger Head, Snake Tails is a standout, providing very personal insights into the Middle Kingdom rarely found elsewhere.

Mr. Fenby is in an excellent position to write about the subject, having been the Editor of the South China Morning Post in HK for many years. His resistance to the newspaper following an overt pro-China line as demanded by the owner may have been a factor in his contract not being renewed. He continues to be closely involved with China, heading a team at the research service Trusted Sources. His direct knowledge and immediate experience provides the substance that defines the work.

Most books on China are polemical tracts, rooted in Sino-philia or Sino-phobia, sometimes both simultaneously. Sino-philia believes in the Chinese model. For example, The Economist asserts that: [Chinese leaders make] rational decisions that balance the needs of all citizens over the long term. Francis Fukuyama and Nancy Birdsell believe that China can avoid the delays of a messy democratic process because the bureaucracy at its upper levels is capable of managing and coordinating sophisticated policies.

Sino-phobes fear that China is hell-bent on conquering the world, capturing its resources and enslaving its peoples. They hold China accountable for everything, including the unsolved death of Marilyn Monroe and the mysterious forces behind the assassination of an American president in Dallas.

The discussion and binary opinions are driven by the fact that economically and politically China is being called upon to play a central role in the world. The debate is focused on what the world requires rather than what China sees as its own interests and a realistic assessment of its abilities. Treading a nuanced path, Tiger Head, Snake Tails develops the thesis of an emerging country, seeking to deal with complex problems of economic development, social structure, political system and the unshakeable legacy of its history.

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Satyajit Das: Personal versus Personalities

SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Fujitsu, the market leader in document imaging scanners, today introduced the newest addition to its portable ScanSnap product lineup for PC and Mac users. The Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i is enhanced with faster scanning speeds, the ability to send and store scanned documents to Android and iOS compatible devices, and new functionality allowing users to easily upload scans to cloud-based services such as Dropbox, Evernote, Google Docs, SugarSync and Salesforce Chatter.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120622/SF28993)

The compact Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i, weighing in at just 3.1 lbs., provides the same easy-to-use one-button scanning and reliable operation as its predecessors, giving consumers and business professionals the most productive, versatile scanning experience at home or on the go. Now, with the addition of its new features and functionalities, the ScanSnap S1300i delivers an array of capabilities that no other document management company offers in a compact scanning solution. New and enhanced features of the ScanSnap S1300i include:

"We're excited that ScanSnap has integrated Dropbox into their devices via the Dropbox API to give our mutual users a great solution for digitizing and managing their content across multiple platforms," said Ilya Fushman, head of Platform Business Development and Corporate Development, Dropbox, Inc.

"In the constantly evolving and fast-paced world that we live in today, people need a versatile and flexible solution to help them keep up with the demands and that is exactly what the ScanSnap S1300i is designed to do," said Scott Francis, vice president of marketing, Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. "From its ability to scan directly to multiple cloud-based services and mobile devices, to its PC and Mac compatibility, to its compact size, the ScanSnap S1300i allows consumers and business professions to be even more productive and paperless anywhere they go."

Simple, Versatile, Powerful

ScanSnap S1300i comes with software for PC and software for Mac so users who use both can optimize their ScanSnap for either platform, making the scanner even more portable and versatile when space is an issue. In-box software includes:

Additional Productivity Features

The next generation ScanSnap S1300i can be powered by USB (USB cables and AC power adaptor included) and provides the rich intelligence and productivity capabilities that have made the ScanSnap line an award-winning device. Key innovative features of the ScanSnap S1300i include:

Pricing & Availability

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Fujitsu Introduces New Personal and Portable ScanSnap Scanner With New Productivity Features, Faster Scanning Speeds ...

Katy Perry blames world tour, surging career for split with Brand

Katy Perry is finally talking about her split with Russell Brand, and she's not pointing any fingers, more or less.

In her new movie, "Part of Me," Perry says the biggest strain on their marriage, which all but ended when he filed for divorce six months ago, was her packed touring schedule, with Perry using her rare days off to take trips to see Brand.

In one scene, People reports, Perry is seen sobbing uncontrollably backstage just before her show. Eventually, she rallies. "Start time," she says before hitting the stage.

And it didn't help, she says, that her career was taking off.

"I thought to myself, 'When I find that person that's going to be my life partner, I won't ever have to choose (between the partner and my career) ... they won't be threatened or have weird motives," Perry says. "Then I started to realize, that's not true. That fairytale I had is not true for me right now."

She also says the last thing she wanted was for the marriage to unravel.

"I have that same belief system with everything, from career to my life to my personal life, everything," she says. "And I will do everything it takes to not fail. And I did everything it took but it still failed."

Justin Bieber flunks art history test on 'Letterman'

But what about the 15th?

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Katy Perry: Russell Brand divorce because of work, success: Favorite people