For The San Diego Union-Tribune Don’t leave these muscles behind Your gluteus maximus muscles are among the body’s strongest, but (there has to be a butt) like the rest of you they need care and maintenance. Long days of sitting at desks, on couches or in cars can wreak havoc, particularly a condition called gluteal amnesia, otherwise known as “dead butt syndrome.” DBS occurs when your rear end muscles become weak from lack of activity and seem to forget their multiple functions, from stabilizing and helping other pelvic muscles do their jobs to acting as shock absorbers when walking or running or allowing you to stand upright. When they no longer can do those jobs well, a cascade of bad things can happen, including hamstring tears, sciatica, shin splints and arthritis in the knees. Americans’ sedentary lifestyles have exacerbated the spread of DBS. Some experts say that if you routinely spend multiple hours sitting at a stretch, those turned-off butt muscles progressively forget how to  function. The remedy: Make sure you remember to stand up every 30 to 50 minutes, walk around a bit and gently tap your cheeks with your fingertips. That last part provides a little stimulation to the brain, reminding it that those muscles are there. Sebastian Kaulitzki (Adobe Stock) Body of knowledge Every second, the human body produces 25 million new cells. In just 15 seconds, an individual generates more cells than the entire population of the United States. Get me that. Stat! Between 2017 and 2020, roughly 25 million adults aged 20 and older in the U.S. had total cholesterol levels above 240 milligrams per deciliter, which is considered high (and unhealthy). Another 86 million had levels above 200 mg/dL or borderline high, reports the CDC. A health total cholesterol level is under 200 mg/dL. (Yuri Arcurs / Adobe Stock) Mark your calendar October is awareness month for health lungs, ADHD, breast cancer, dental hygiene, Down Syndrome, spina bifida, eye injuries, sudden cardiac arrest and sudden infant death syndrome. (Iryna Melnyk / Adobe Stock) Phobia of the week Turophobia — fear of cheese (not a gouda thing) Best medicine Q: At moment of death, what part of the body is last to die? A: The pupils, because they dilate. Medical history This week in 2013, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), signed into law by President Obama in March 2010, began open enrollment for individuals and families. The law was intended to  provide new options for affordable health insurance. The need was glaring: Of 40 high-income countries, U.S. life expectancy ranked 27. The vast majority of high-income countries had and have universal health coverage. Ig Nobel apprised The Ig Nobel Prizes celebrate achievements that make people laugh, then think. A look at real science that’s hard to take seriously, and even harder to ignore. In 1997, the Ig Nobel Prize in biology went to a group of Japanese, Swiss and Czech scientists for measuring people’s brainwave patterns while they chewed different flavors of gum. Subsequent research has found that chewing gum can enhance attention and promote well-being and work performance, proving you can work and chew gum at the same time. (Adobe Stock) Medical myths Hats are good on cold days, but you do not lose a disproportionate amount of body heat through your head. That notion erroneously emerged in the 1970s based on limited Army research. It turns out the head was the only part of the body Army scientists actually assessed in their, uh, Cold War studies. Subsequent research has found that any part of the body left uncovered releases similar amounts of heat. Curtain calls In 2013, a sinkhole opened beneath the Seffner, Florida home of Jeffrey Bush, who was asleep in his bedroom. Rescuers entered the bedroom to find Bush, his bed and dresser had disappeared down a deep hole. Bush’s body was never recovered. The house was subsequently demolished and the sinkhole filled. The property was enclosed by a fence with a nearby memorial to Bush. In 2015, the sinkhole reopened and was refilled. In 2023, it reopened again and was refilled. LaFee is vice president of communications for the Sanford Burnham Prebys research institute.