Sleeping regularly is important to staying slim, experts say – for one, an overtired brain will prompt the body to eat more. (The Dying Swans/Flickr Creative Commons)
Obesity rates are on a dangerous path in the U.S., says a new report that numbers more than 100 pages. According to KPCC, if rates continue their upward trajectory, the number of folks with serious diseases will increase tenfold by 2020, and then will double again by 2030. By that time, says the report, nearly 47 percent of California residents will be obese, way up from around 23 percent in 2011.
The journal Nutrition and Diabetes has more on weight: Researchers found that kids without siblings have a 50 percent greater chance of becoming overweight or obese. And the Los Angeles Times has news on a report that says sleep is important to maintaining a healthy weight too, since an overtired brain will prompt people to eat more, and hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism don't work as well in people who haven't gotten enough sleep.
In case there still aren't enough benefits to exercise for you, HealthDay's got another: Exercise can help people manage stress and anxiety, in addition to improving a person's mood and keep them physically healthy.
Do you drive to the store, even if it's less than a half-mile away from your home? If so, that may be because your neighborhood isn't walkable – and in neighborhoods that aren't walkable, says Medical News Today, immigrants are 50 percent more likely to develop diabetes. That's compared to long-term residents in walkable areas.
Another study from HealthDay shows that people who self-harm – whether it's cutting, burning or scratching – are three times more likely to die before their time than the general population. Among these folks, the most common cause of premature death was accidental poisoning and suicide.
Finally, the University of Michigan asked parents across the nation what sorts of behaviors should be classified as bullying, and what should prompt schools to take actions. The results: 81 percent said to take action if a student embarrasses or humiliates another student; 76 percent said to take action if a student spreads rumors about another student; and 56 percent say to take action if a student isolates another student socially.
Photo by The Dying Swans via Flickr Creative Commons.
