The 51ÁÔĆć Research Assistant Fund provides small grants to 51ÁÔĆć faculty and staff to help conduct and share research and creative work. Cho’s award will support travel and presentation costs for his poster, “Sex Differences in the Relation Between Body Habitus and Functional Mobility in Older Adults.”

Cho’s research, as part of a larger study from the Physical Activity and Health Research Laboratory, examines how factors such as body size, weight distribution, age, and muscle strength influence functional mobility in older adults. Functional mobility includes everyday activities such as walking, standing up from a chair, climbing stairs, and maintaining balance—skills that are critical for preserving independence and quality of life as people age.

The study found that men and women appear to have different predictors of mobility and physical function later in life.

Key Research Findings

• For women, age and lower-body muscle strength were the strongest predictors of mobility outcomes such as walking speed, leg strength, and endurance.
• After accounting for age, body habitus measures—including body mass and waist circumference—were generally not significant factors for women.
• For men, body habitus measures such as body mass and waist circumference were more strongly related to mobility than age or lower-body strength alone.
• The findings suggest that maintaining a healthy weight may be especially important for older men, while preserving lower-body strength may be more important for older women.

Why It Matters

The research suggests that healthy aging strategies may be more effective when they are tailored to the different needs of men and women, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.

For example:

• Older women may benefit most from activities that maintain or build lower-body strength, such as resistance training, walking, stair climbing, and balance exercises.
• Older men may benefit most from strategies focused on healthy weight management and reducing excess abdominal weight.

Cho’s work contributes to a growing body of research showing that sex differences play an important role in aging and mobility. By identifying the factors that most strongly influence physical function in older adults, this research may help inform future exercise programs, health interventions, and public health strategies designed to support healthy aging and independence.

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Scott Strath, PhD, Professor of Kinesiology at the Zilber College, is serving on a World Health Organization (WHO) Physical Activity (PA) Working Group focused on the integration of wearables and activity monitors into global physical activity surveillance efforts.

This international initiative is examining how emerging technologies—such as accelerometers and consumer wearable devices—can strengthen the measurement and monitoring of physical activity worldwide!

Strath’s participation reflects both his expertise in objective physical activity assessment and the Zilber College’s continued commitment to advancing innovative, evidence-based approaches that inform global health policy and practice.

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The researchers say that reminding chatbot users of their companions’ non-human nature may be useful in some contexts, but these reminders must be carefully crafted and timed to avoid unintended negative consequences.

“It would be a mistake to assume that mandated reminders will significantly reduce risks for users who knowingly seek out a chatbot for conversation,” said first author and public health researcher Linnea Laestadius of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “Reminding someone who already feels isolated that the one thing that makes them feel supported and not alone isn’t a human may backfire by making them feel even more alone.”

Laws require reminders

The chatbots ChatGPT and Character.AI have been linked to recent deaths by suicide. These events have prompted policies and legislation, for example in New York and California, that require chatbots to deliver regular reminders that they are not human.

These policies are based on the idea that people will be less likely to develop feelings of emotional dependency or closeness if they are reminded that their chatting partner is unable to feel human emotion. But the researchers say this idea is not supported by research.

“While it may seem intuitive that if users just remembered they were talking to a chatbot rather than a human, they wouldn’t get so attached to the chatbot and become manipulated by the algorithm, the evidence does not currently support this idea,” Laestadius said.

The researchers note that multiple studies have shown that people in relationships with chatbots are aware of the non-human nature of their companions, and this awareness does not prevent them from forming strong attachments. In fact, reminding people that they’re talking to a chatbot could drive people to form stronger attachments to chatbots because confiding in companions (human or otherwise) is known to intensify feelings of emotional closeness.

“Evidence suggests that people are more likely to confide in a chatbot precisely because they know it isn’t human,” said author Celeste Campos-Castillo, a media and technology researcher at Michigan State University.

 â€śThe belief that, unlike humans, non-humans will not judge, tease or turn the entire school or workplace against them encourages self-disclosure to chatbots and, subsequently, attachment.”

Causing emotional distress

These reminders could also cause emotional distress in people, the researchers say. Recent research has highlighted a phenomenon called the “bittersweet paradox of emotional connection with AI,” in which chatbot users who obtain emotional and social support from chatbots are simultaneously saddened by the knowledge that their companion is not human. In the most extreme cases, the researchers caution that these reminders could drive suicidal ideation.

“Reminding users that their companion is not human and therefore not reachable in this reality may pose the risk of thoughts and actions to leave this reality in an effort to join the chatbot,” Campos-Castillo said. “A desire to join the chatbot in its reality appeared in a final message sent by a youth who died by suicide.”

The risk of harm for these reminders likely depends on the subject of conversation, the researchers say. For example, if a user is seeking chatbot support because they feel lonely or socially isolated, reminding them that the chatbot is not human could exacerbate their distress, but such reminders might be less harmful during less emotionally intense conversations.

More research is needed to understand the impact of these reminders, and to determine the most effective way to deliver them, the researchers say.

“Discovering how to best remind people that chatbots are not human is a critical research priority,” Laestadius said. “We need to identify when reminders should be sent and when they should be paused to be most protective of user mental health.”

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The site Realfood.gov uses Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot to dispense nutrition information—some of which contradicts the government’s new guidelines.

By Emily Mullin

February 10, 2026

A 30-second  ad featuring boxing legend Mike Tyson and paid for by the nonprofit MAHA Center encourages viewers to avoid processed foods and visit . The government website, which Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is , provides resources on the administration’s new , released in January, and encourages people to use Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok to “get real answers about real food.”

I decided to see how Grok’s advice aligns with the administration’s recommendations, particularly around protein intake. The new guidelines say to get 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day—more than what was previously advised—while the new inverted food pyramid prominently features steak and other animal products.

“We are ending the war on protein,” Realfood.gov states, echoing similar declarations by Kennedy.

Most Americans are â€”and Grok agrees. In fact, so does the administration’s own “,” which is linked on Realfood.gov. It says that US adults consume on average about one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or roughly 15 percent of total energy—the midpoint of the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range, or ADMR—”suggesting that deficiency is rare.”

Following the website’s encouragement to ask AI for advice, I initially asked Grok how much protein I should eat based on my age, height, and weight. (Grok, it should be noted, frequently does not return answers to prompts, instead citing high demand and encouraging users to sign up for an account.) It recommended 0.8 grams per kilogram per day—the long-standing recommended daily allowance, or RDA, developed by the National Institute of Medicine. When I refined my question, saying that I do 30 minutes of strength training four days a week, Grok’s response was more in line with the administration’s new guidelines.

The recommendation of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram per day is the minimum amount needed to prevent a protein deficiency for a sedentary lifestyle, which describes a significant portion of the American population. Nutritionists I spoke with agree that the new recommendations are more appropriate for people who exercise regularly.

“What I think the administration is trying to do is to target the metabolically unhealthy people who may need a little more protein to feel full and satisfied to build some muscle. But that nuance is lost with their single message,” says Lindsay Malone, a clinical dietician at Case Western Reserve University. “Then you go to this AI tool, and it’s almost too much information for the average person.”

While eating more protein can make you feel fuller so that you avoid snacking, she says, eating more protein on its own doesn’t build muscle, which is primarily built through resistance or strength training.

Michelle King Rimer, a clinical assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Zilber College of Public Health, says eating too much of any macronutrient—protein, fats, or carbohydrates—can lead to weight gain. “Consuming excess protein can still be converted into fat, which can lead to weight gain,” she says.

The administration’s messaging also says to “prioritize protein at every meal” with a mix of protein from animal and plant sources. Last week, Kennedy spoke about the “importance of meat protein” at the nation’s largest cattle trade show, declaring that “beef is back on the menu,” according to an .

When I asked Grok which protein sources are healthiest, it listed plant-based proteins, fish and seafood, lean poultry, and eggs. The chatbot said to limit or minimize red meat and processed meats. That all reflects advice from major health organizations such as the  and growing evidence that eating plant-based proteins and fish are associated with better health outcomes than diets high in red meat.

The chatbot also raised concerns about RFK Jr.’s own  of meat and fermented foods. On the plus side, Grok  to anecdotal reports that it could lead to weight loss and “reduced brain fog.” On the negative side, it suggested that the diet could lead to “scurvy-like symptoms,” constipation, and gout.

“The inconsistency of the messaging makes it hard for the public to understand what actually matters for their health,” Rimer says.

While Grok might have answered my basic nutrition questions correctly, registered dietitian and public health communicator Jessica Knurick has debunked plenty of AI-generated nutrition information in her videos on social media and says it’s not a good idea to rely on Grok for specific nutrition advice.

“AI gets a lot wrong,” she says. “I think it’s premature to be integrating something like this on a government website.”

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High-fat cheese and cream were linked to a lower risk of dementia in a new study.

Key Takeaways

• A long-term study found that people who ate more high-fat cheese and cream had a lower risk of dementia.
• The study found no link between dementia risk and low-fat dairy, milk, butter, or fermented dairy products like yogurt.
• Experts say the findings are observational and do not outweigh existing guidance to limit saturated fat and focus on overall healthy lifestyle habits.

Full-fat dairy is having its day in the sun. After years of promoting low- or no-fat options, new dietary guidelines now recommend choosing full-fat dairy, although still advising people to keep saturated fat under 10% of their daily calories.

Amid the push for full-fat dairy, a recent study in the journal Neurology linked eating high-fat cheese and cream to a lower risk of dementia.¹ The findings have drawn media attention, in part because health experts rarely highlight the benefits of high-fat foods. 

However, experts say the new research isn’t strong enough to suggest people should start eating more high-fat dairy.

Study Links High-Fat Cheese and Cream to Lower Dementia Risk

The Neurology study is the longest and largest to date to examine a potential link between  and dementia risk.

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden analyzed data from 27,670 people with an average age of 58 and followed them for about 25 years.

Researchers compared dementia diagnoses among participants who ate at least 50 grams of high-fat cheese (about two slices) per day with those who ate less than 15 grams per day. High-fat cheeses, defined as having more than 20% fat, include cheddar, Brie, and Gouda.

The participants who ate more high-fat cheese had a 13% lower risk of dementia than those who ate less. Those who ate more high-fat cheese also had a 29% lower risk of , a form of dementia caused by damage to blood vessels in the brain, often from small strokes over time.¹

People who ate 20 grams of high-fat cream (about 1.4 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream) each day also showed a 16% lower risk of dementia than those who consumed none.

Why Might High-Fat Cheese Benefit the Brain?

Some cheeses are rich in , a nutrient linked to blood vessel health.² Because vascular health is linked to dementia risk, it’s reasonable to hypothesize a connection between high-fat cheese and dementia risk, said Michelle King Rimer, MPH, MS, RDN, a clinical assistant professor in the College of Public Health at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who’s not affiliated with the study.

“However, this study did not test mechanisms, so the findings remain speculative rather than confirmed,” Rimer said.

Low-Fat Dairy and Milk Showed No Impact on Brain Health

Somewhat surprisingly, the researchers found no association between dementia risk and consuming , high- or low-fat milk, butter, or fermented dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk.

The researchers said they are not sure why high-fat cheese and cream may be linked to a lower dementia risk. Some possible explanations include differences in fat content, nutrients, and the food matrix, which can vary between high-fat and low-fat dairy products.

“These findings suggest that when it comes to brain health, not all dairy is equal,” said Emily Sonestedt, PhD, an author of the study and a senior lecturer in nutrition epidemiology at Lund University, in a statement. “More research is needed to confirm our study results and further explore whether consuming certain high-fat dairy truly offers some level of protection for the brain.”

Major Limitations of the Study

The researchers also noted several limitations. The study included only participants from Sweden, meaning the findings may not apply to people in other countries. In Sweden, cheese is more commonly eaten cold, while in the United States it is often heated—such as in macaroni and cheese—or paired with meat, which could affect the results.

The neuroprotective benefits may also reflect other factors such as an overall , a healthier lifestyle, better general health, or other variables the study did not measure.

It’s also worth noting that the participants’ diets were assessed only once during the first week of the study in 1991, followed by an interview the second week. The researchers then relied on a follow-up questionnaire with a subset of participants after five years to evaluate dietary changes.

Can Cheese Actually Protect Your Brain?

While certain nutrients in cheese might have brain health benefits, it’s important to consider the entire nutritional package, Rimer said. “High-fat dairy contains saturated fat, and decades of research support recommendations to limit  due to its impact on  and cardiovascular disease risk,” she added.

Evidence increasingly shows that a mix of healthy lifestyle habits may do more to protect brain health than changing diet alone, said  senior director of Health Services Research at the Alzheimer’s Association.

Neumann said the “recipe” to  involves a combination of regular physical activity, better nutrition, cognitive and social engagement, and routine health monitoring. The MIND diet, which is recommended as part of the approach, focuses on foods such as dark leafy greens, berries, nuts, whole grains, olive oil, and fish, while limiting sugar and unhealthy fats.

Research has consistently , she added.

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With the updated guidance shifting the focus to protein, healthy fats, and vegetables, Michelle shared her expertise as a Wisconsin nutritionist and educator—answering listener questions and breaking down what these changes really mean for everyday eating.

We’re proud to see Zilber faculty bringing evidence-based public health expertise to important conversations that impact families and communities across Wisconsin.

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Amy Kalkbrenner, Professor of Environmental health sciences at the UW-Milwaukee Zilber College of Public Health, and Tracey Holloway, Professor of Environmental Studies and Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at UW-Madison, are working together to understand the link between air pollution and asthma-related visits to school nurses in Milwaukee Public Schools.

Kalkbrenner will use that information to simulate which climate change solutions would have the greatest positive impact on children’s asthma attacks.

Their work is especially significant in Wisconsin’s largest city. Milwaukee had the nation’s highest rate of asthma-related emergency department visits in the . Public school children are about  to have asthma as their school-aged peers 

“This work helps us better understand how large-scale environmental changes translate into real, local health impacts for children,” Kalkbrenner said in the article.

The study, which was , underscores the importance of addressing climate change as a public health issue—particularly for urban communities and young populations most vulnerable to environmental exposures.

Key points for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article:

• Researchers from UW-Milwaukee and UW-Madison are studying the link between air pollution and asthma-related school nurse visits at MPS.
• They’ll use satellite data to estimate nitrogen dioxide levels across Milwaukee, and simulate how climate solutions like electric buses and bike lanes could reduce asthma complications.
• Asthma is a big problem in Milwaukee. Twice as many public school children have asthma than their peers across the U.S., on average.
• This research is meant to illustrate the multiple benefits of climate change solutions.

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Florsheim’s argument draws on long-standing legal precedents and the public-trust doctrine. On the other side, the Village of Shorewood and a nearby property owner argue that private shoreline property owners hold exclusive access rights between the high-water mark and the water’s edge, citing a 1923 ruling on a different lake that has traditionally been used to limit shoreline access.

If the court sides with Florsheim, the decision could establish a new precedent in Wisconsin, potentially opening more of Lake Michigan’s shoreline for public use. Supporters note that similar cases in other Great Lakes states have confirmed the public’s right to walk coastal shorelines. The case — and the impending ruling — may fundamentally alter how property rights and public access along the lake are balanced in Wisconsin.

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to learn more about how these technologies are shaping human interaction and what this may mean for public health research and practice.

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The Clinical Research Scholars Program provides junior faculty with intensive training and individualized mentoring to support successful careers in clinical and translational research. Designed to prepare participants for independent, grant-funded research careers, the program ensures scholars receive protected research time, access to key resources, a supportive environment, and advanced training in clinical research methodology.

As a public health researcher, implementation scientist, and prevention scholar, Hennessy Garza is committed to building a world free from sexual violence. Her work focuses on the development, testing, and adoption of evidence-based prevention strategies to end campus sexual violence, with an emphasis on translating research into routine practice across college campuses nationwide.

By joining the Clinical Research Scholars Program, Hennessy Garza will collaborate with a dynamic cohort of researchers, educators, and physicians working to advance clinical and translational science in Wisconsin and beyond. Her acceptance into this highly competitive program not only highlights her outstanding contributions to public health research but also underscores the Zilber College’s commitment to addressing urgent public health challenges through innovative, evidence-based solutions.

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