The Smell of Virtue by Scott LaFee on Creators.com

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The Smell of Virtue

A new study out of Brigham Young University suggests cleanliness actually is next to godliness. Or at least it makes one a better person.

In the journal Psychological Science, BYU researcher Katie Liljenquist reports that people who live in clean-smelling environments are unconsciously fairer and more generous.

Liljenquist asked volunteers to perform a series of tasks in different rooms. Some of the rooms were scented with the window cleaner Windex. In one task, participants asked to split a sum of money among people present and not present. Liljenquist said the sum tended to be more fairly split in the Windex-scented room.

In a second experiment, volunteers were asked about their interest in joining charitable groups or donating money to a cause. Those surveyed in the clean-scented room were significantly more interested.

Follow-up questioning revealed that participants didn't notice the presence or absence of a scent in the rooms. Nor did they say their moods affected outcomes.

Liljenquist said her work has practical applications. "Companies often employ heavy-handed interventions to regulate conduct, but they can be costly or oppressive. This is a very simple, unobtrusive way to promote ethical behavior."

And do windows at the same time.

BODY OF KNOWLEDGE

Obese women who have weight-loss surgery before pregnancy appear to reduce the chance that their children will become obese, according to researchers.

It's believed something in an obese woman's womb ... a hormone or chemical signal, for example ...

programs the fetus toward becoming a fat child and adult. The exact nature of the programming, however, is not known.

NUMBER CRUNCHER

A plain bagel from Panera Bread (120 grams) contains 290 calories, 9 from fat. It has 1 gram of total fat or 2 percent of the recommended total fat intake for a 2,000-calorie daily diet.

It also contains 480 milligrams of sodium (20 percent); 61 grams of total carbohydrates (20 percent); 3g of dietary fiber (12 percent); 5g of sugar and 12g of protein.

LIFE IN BIG MACS

One hour of cleaning rain gutters burns 340 calories (based on a 150-pound person) or the equivalent of half a Big Mac.

MEDTRONICA

Virtual hospital

uihealthcare.com/vh/

Produced by the University of Iowa, this no-nonsense site is divided into departments, such as anesthesia, neurology and pharmacy. Click on a department and you get a list (some long, some short) of specialized topics, such as controlling acute or chronic pain.

STORIES FOR THE WAITING ROOM

The idea that men and women experience different heart attack symptoms is not true, according to a new Canadian study, which found no gender differences in rates of typical symptoms, such as chest discomfort, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea and clammy skin.

While both men and women may experience typical or atypical symptoms of a heart attack, the major difference, said Martha Mackay of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, is that female patients are more likely to have both classic symptoms plus throat, jaw and neck discomfort.

PHOBIA OF THE WEEK

Blennophobia — fear of slime

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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The Smell of Virtue