After controlling for sex, race, sleep problems like nightmares and other variables, they found that less sleep appeared to be associated with more weight. The benefit appeared to derive mostly from going to bed earlier, not waking up later.
Researchers say they can't explain why sleep and weight seem to be linked. Julie C. Lumeng, the lead author, told The New York Times that lax parenting was not to blame. Instead, she offered three possible explanations:
"First, children who are grumpy may be more likely to ask for food," Lumeng said. "Second, children who don't get enough sleep are more likely to be tired the next day and less likely to exercise."
The third possibility involves the hormone leptin, which is associated with fat metabolism and released in the body in relation to the sleep cycle. "A disrupted sleep cycle may interfere with how the body stores calories," Lumeng said.
MEDTRONICA
Animal health care
Produced by Canadian veterinarians, animalhealthcare.ca is an easy way to learn the basics of health care for dogs, cats, birds, rats, even goldfish and large farm animals.
STORIES FOR THE WAITING ROOM
An analysis by researchers at the University of Munich in Germany suggests that breast cancer patients are significantly more likely to have a pet dog than cat, reports the English newspaper The Daily Mail.
Almost 80% of all breast cancer patients said they had extensive contact with dogs before their diagnosis. Only 4.4% said they did not have any pets at any time. By comparison, more than 57% of a healthy control group said they were pet-free. Researchers speculate that the reason may be that dogs - and possibly other pets - harbor viruses that can raise the risk of contracting cancer, though confirming evidence is scant.
OBSERVATION
I got well by talking. Death could not get a word in edgewise, grew discouraged and traveled on.
- Author Louise Erdrich
CURTAIN CALLS
When she was 6 years old, a girl named Rolande Geneve planted an oak tree in her garden at Isere, France. Sixty years later, the oak toppled over, killing Geneve.
GET ME THAT. STAT!
The percentage of American men over the age of 65 who smoke is 9.8; for women 8.1, according to federal Centers for Disease Control.
The world's speed-eating record for Vienna sausages is 8.31 pounds in 10 minutes, held by Sonya Thomas and set at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., on May 28, 2005.
PHOBIA OF THE WEEK
Rhytiphobia - fear of getting wrinkles
BODY OF KNOWLEDGE
The human body makes about 2 million new red blood cells every second.
KEEP ON MOVING
Even if you don't meet the current recommendation to exercise for 30 minutes a day most days of the week, don't give up. Consumer Reports on Health says a new study of 106 adults shows that exercising less frequently or in shorter stints also does some good. People who walked 30 minutes five days a week for three months saw a drop of six points in their systolic blood pressure, while those who walked just as long but only three days a week cut their blood pressure by nearly five points.
GET UP
If you spend your day glued to your desk, you could be at increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition that causes swelling, pain and potentially fatal blood vessel damage. More often seen in passengers on long-distance plane flights, DVT can also occur in office workers who sit for at least three hours without getting up. Inactivity slows circulation, which can lead to a blood clot. To avoid risk, take a walk every hour or so.
