AARP Blog

When the fanny pack was introduced to American consu mers in 1988, AdWeek hailed it as “the hottest product of the year.”

An acquaintance once said that she had lost over 200 pounds. Looking at her girth, I confess that I doubted the claim until she quickly added, "Of course, it's the same 20 pounds 10 times."

Are you overweight? If so, you may be one of the millions of people around the world who are plagued with chronic hedonic hyperphagia.

My mother had a cleft palate.  It was fixed when she was three years-old, and you could never tell anything was wrong by looking at her, but it left her with two impediments: her speech and her mother.

Speed and efficiency have become key values for us. We expect an instant response when we flip a light switch or download a movie on television. We anticipate immediate acceleration when we put our foot on the gas and a reverse but equal response when we brake. We are a nation of fast-food lovers. Computer-mediated communication, whether by email, text messages or phone, allows us to be in touch with anyone on the globe within seconds.