Consumer News: Researchers find early clues to heart health risk in kids

Former participants are likely to receive compensation

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Amway and two affiliated training groups have agreed to pay $225 million to resolve allegations that they misled people about the money they could earn selling Amway products.

• The FTC says nearly all the money will go to participants who lost money, but it has not yet announced how payments will be made.

• Amway disputes the allegations and says the settlement allows it to move forward.

Amway and two affiliated training groups have agreed to pay $225 million to settle allegations that they used misleading earnings claims and pressured recruits to buy products they were unlikely to sell.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the state of Washington brought the case against Amway, World Wide Group and Leadership Team Development. The FTC calls the proposed payment its largest monetary recovery in a case against a multilevel marketing company. Nearly all of it is intended for Amway participants recruited by the two groups who lost money, according to the agency. A federal judge must approve the settlement before it takes effect.

Amway calls its sellers Independent Business Owners, or IBOs. In their complaint, regulators allege that recruits were told they could earn substantial income, replace a full-time job, or retire early. Yet most IBOs who joined the two training groups after 2020 spent more on Amway products and training than they received from Amway, the complaint says.

Regulators also allege that the groups urged IBOs to buy products every month whether they could resell them or wanted them for personal use. The complaint says participants were instructed to report sales they had not made, creating a misleading picture of customer demand. These are allegations resolved by the proposed settlement, not findings by a court.

Terms of the settlement

Under the proposed order, IBOs would have to sell at least 70% of the products they buy from Amway each month to other people. Recruiters would receive substantially less compensation when people they recruit buy products without reselling them. Amway would have to send receipts to customers, submit its sales records to regular independent audits, and terminate IBOs who fake sales or teach others to do so. The training groups and other approved providers could not charge new IBOs for training or services during their first year.

In a statement on its website, Amway said, We fundamentally disagree with the agencies characterization of our business. It also rejected the agencies assertion that its sales data is inaccurate and said settling lets it focus on customers, IBOs, and employees.

The FTC said it will provide details about its payment program later. Former participants do not yet have instructions for seeking a payment.

A new study found that pterostilbene helped reduce fat buildup in mouse muscle cells, but more research is needed

• A compound found naturally in blueberries, grapes, and other berries reduced fat buildup in cultured mouse muscle cells.

• Researchers found that pterostilbene appeared to help muscle cells break down stored fat rather than simply preventing fat from entering the cells.

• The findings are an early step and don't show that eating berries or taking pterostilbene supplements will produce the same effects in people.

Fat doesn't only accumulate under the skin. It can also build up inside skeletal muscle cells, where it may interfere with how those cells use fats and glucose. This type of fat accumulation can be associated with reduced metabolic flexibility and insulin resistance.

Researchers at Shinshu University in Japan wanted to see whether naturally occurring compounds found in foods could help address this problem. Their focus was pterostilbene, a polyphenol found in blueberries, grapes, and other berries.

The researchers were particularly interested in a protein called PPAR, which plays an important role in how cells process fatty acids. When PPAR is active, it helps promote the breakdown of fatty acids and can limit the buildup of lipids inside cells.

How the study worked

The researchers screened a collection of food-derived compounds using cultured C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cells. They looked for compounds that could reduce fat accumulation without disrupting the cells' normal growth and development.

Pterostilbene produced the strongest reduction in fat buildup among the compounds tested. The researchers then ran additional experiments to figure out how it was working.

They found that the compound didn't appear to reduce fat by stopping fatty acids from entering the muscle cells. Instead, treated cells released more glycerol, which is a sign that stored fat was being broken down.

The researchers also found increased activity in genes involved in fatty acid oxidation, suggesting that the cells were better able to process stored fat for energy.

What the results could mean for consumers

The researchers found that pterostilbene increased the amount of PPAR protein inside the muscle cells. Rather than directly activating the protein, pterostilbene appeared to protect it from being broken down. That left more PPAR available to promote processes involved in fat metabolism.

The findings could eventually help researchers explore food-based approaches for addressing excess fat accumulation in muscle. However, there's an important catch: this was a laboratory study involving cultured mouse muscle cells, not a study of people.

That means the research doesn't establish that eating blueberries, grapes, or other foods containing pterostilbene will cause the same changes in human muscle. It also doesn't show that pterostilbene can prevent or treat obesity, type 2 diabetes, or other metabolic conditions.

More research, including studies in living organisms and eventually humans, will be needed to determine whether the effects hold up outside the laboratory and to assess the compound's effectiveness and safety.

"Our findings establish a scientific framework for developing functional foods and nutritional supplements that target muscle fat metabolism, researcher Dr. Takakazu Mitani said in a news release. However, beyond the potential of pterostilbene itself, this work provides an experimental framework for identifying other natural compounds that can stabilize the PPAR protein.

The grocery chain is investing $86 million in savings through early November

• ALDI says shoppers will see an estimated $86 million in additional savings this fall.

• Price cuts include seasonal produce, chicken, coffee, nuts, and other everyday items.

• The reductions begin Sept. 23 and are scheduled to last through at least Nov. 3.

As shoppers settle into fall routines, ALDI is making another round of price cuts on groceries. The supermarket chain announced that it is investing an estimated $86 million in savings on products shoppers commonly reach for this time of year.

The latest reductions are being added to ALDI's existing low-price strategy. According to the company, nearly one-third of its everyday in-store assortment is now priced lower than it was last year.

The new savings are focused on a mix of seasonal foods, organic options, and lean proteins, giving shoppers more opportunities to spend less on items they may already be planning to buy.

At ALDI, value is a year-round promise, not a promotion, Scott Patton, ALDI Chief Commercial Officer, said in a news release.

Customers trust us to help them make the most of their grocery budget, and we never stop looking for ways to run our business more efficiently so we can pass along savings. As shoppers head into fall routines and healthier habits, we're making additional investments to lower prices on our better-for-you favorites, building on the value customers already see throughout our stores.

Which products are getting cheaper?

The price reductions cover a range of fall favorites, including Autumncrisp grapes, Bartlett pears, Brussels sprouts, butternut and spaghetti squash, fresh herbs, garlic, French beans, apples, and potatoes.

A couple of reductions stand out. Honeycrisp apples are now $1.99 per pound, which ALDI says is 35% less than last year and the lowest everyday price it has offered on the apples in more than five years.

Kirkwood chicken breast family packs are also dropping to $1.99 per pound, the lowest everyday price ALDI says it has offered since 2022.

The new cuts build on hundreds of products that were already priced below their 2025 prices, including ground and organic whole bean coffee, mixed nuts and dried fruit, paper towels, protein shakes, and chocolate.

What this means for shoppers

For ALDI customers, the biggest takeaway is that the lower prices aren't limited to one type of grocery. The company says the fall reductions cover everything from fresh produce to protein and pantry staples.

The additional savings are scheduled to remain in effect from Sept. 23 through at least Nov. 3 at ALDI stores nationwide. However, the company notes that actual prices and product availability can vary by store.

ALDI estimates the fall price investments will save shoppers $86 million based on its internal analysis of projected sales and pricing during that period. Online and delivery prices may also be different from in-store prices.

More hospitals are following federal pricing rules, but many consumers still cant see the actual cost of care

• Nearly half of the 2,000 hospitals reviewed were fully compliant with federal price transparency requirements.

• Complex algorithms and percentages can still make it difficult for consumers to determine what theyll actually pay.

• Only 18% of hospitals reviewed provided enough dollar-and-cents pricing to meet the reports standard for easy comparison.

Shopping for healthcare is supposed to get easier under the federal Hospital Price Transparency Rule, which requires hospitals to publicly share information about their prices. But a new report finds that while hospitals have made progress in following the rules, consumers can still have trouble finding an actual price they can use.

PatientRightsAdvocate.orgs September 2026 report found that 988 of the 2,000 hospitals reviewed 49.4% were fully compliant with the rule. Thats a significant increase from 21.1% in the organizations previous report.

However, the report also found that only 360 hospitals, or 18%, posted dollar-and-cents prices for at least half of the items and services in their pricing files.

How the report reviewed hospital pricing

Researchers reviewed the publicly available websites of 2,000 hospitals, with an emphasis on hospitals owned by some of the countrys largest health systems.

The review took place from April 29 through May 3, 2026. An independent healthcare price data company, FireLight Health LLC, separately reviewed and validated a substantial sample of the reports data.

Researchers examined hospitals machine-readable pricing files, checking things such as whether files passed the CMS Validator Tool, included required information, and accurately listed payer and plan information.

They also reviewed whether hospitals provided pricing information for 300 shoppable services through either a consumer-friendly list or a price estimator tool.

Better compliance doesnt always mean a usable price

The report found that 1,012 hospitals, or 50.6%, were not fully compliant.

One major issue involved the use of pricing algorithms. The rules allow hospitals to use algorithms or percentages when a negotiated price genuinely depends on information that isnt known in advance.

But the report found that 459 hospitals, or 23%, used algorithms that did not meet the requirement to provide enough information for the public to calculate the dollar amount.

For consumers, that distinction matters. A hospital might technically provide pricing information without giving someone a clear number they can understand before receiving care. The report gives examples of formulas that require specialized knowledge, as well as percentages that don't identify all of the services or charges that could be included.

There was better news when it came to the 300 shoppable services requirement: The report estimated that 98.9% of hospitals provided the required information through a consumer-friendly display, a price estimator tool, or both.

The report ultimately calls for clearer federal guidance on algorithms and percentages so consumers can more easily determine the actual dollar amount associated with their care.

Beyond inflation, the economic impact is uncertain

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Bank of America says Brent crude could rise above $150 a barrel if oil supplies tighten further. That is a risk scenario, not the banks main forecast.

• If crude climbed from roughly $100 to $150 and the full increase reached the pump, it would add about $1.19 per gallon to gasoline and diesel.

• Diesel could face additional pressure because supplies of the fuel are already tight, raising costs for trucking and deliveries.

Bank of America is warning that crude oil could climb above $150 a barrel if supply disruptions worsen. The banks year-end forecast for Brent crude is $95 a barrel, making $150 a potential outcome under more severe conditions rather than its expected price.

For drivers, the difference could be substantial. A barrel contains 42 gallons, so a $50 increase in crude works out to about $1.19 per gallon before changes in refining costs, distribution and taxes. If that entire increase reached consumers, the national average for regular gasoline could approach $5.67 a gallon, compared with $4.48 in the latest U.S. Energy Information Administration weekly survey. A 15-gallon fill-up would cost about $18 more.

That calculation is an illustration, not a pump-price forecast. Retail prices do not move in perfect step with crude. They also depend on how much gasoline refineries produce, local supplies and the costs of getting fuel to stations.

Diesel could prove especially costly

The greater threat comes from the impact of diesel, the fuel that moves food and merchandise through the economy. The same crude-price calculation would put diesel near $7.72 a gallon, up from the EIAs latest national average of $6.53. A truck buying 100 gallons would pay roughly $119 more for that fill-up.

Diesel could rise by more or less than that estimate. The EIA says refining margins for diesel and other distillate fuels have been particularly high, reflecting disrupted refinery output and tight supplies. Those pressures can push diesel prices up even when crude prices hold steady.

Higher diesel costs reach beyond people who drive diesel vehicles. Trucks, farm equipment and construction machinery use the fuel, so a sustained increase can raise the cost of moving food and other goods. Businesses may eventually pass some of those costs to customers.

The key question is whether a jump in crude would last. A brief spike might have a smaller effect at the pump; a prolonged disruption would give higher oil costs more time to work through gasoline and diesel prices.