Sleepy Teenagers May Be Fatter Adults

teenager sleep

Your teenager’s lack of sleep just might be making him fat. That’s the result of a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics and conducted by Columbia University and the University of North Carolina.

The study found that teenagers who get less than six hours of sleep a nigh are 20% more likely to be obese later in life. The researchers found that, by age 21, those who had 8 hours of sleep during their teen years were significantly less likely to be overweight.

Researchers looked at information for more than 10,000 American kids aged 16. They revisited the information on the same kids when they were 21. 20% of the 16 year olds reported to getting less than six hours of sleep. This group was 20% more likely to be obese at 21 than were their peers who slept for 8 hours a night.

As Shakira Suglia, assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, said, “Lack of sleep in your teenage years can stack the deck against you for obesity later in life.”

“Once you’re an obese adult, it is much harder to lose weight and keep it off. And the longer you are obese, the greater your risk for health problems like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The message for parents is to make sure their teenagers get more than eight hours a night.”

Loving Until the End

This is an incredible story of love and dedication. Watch and admire.

 


4 Unusual Hotel Perks Coming Your Way

goldfishIf you’re interested in a rather unique hotel stay, here are a few choices for your pleasure:

  1. Kimpton Hotels: Are you missing your pet? Wish you had brought your fish along for the ride? No problem. With this US chain’s “Guppy Love” program you can have a goldfish put in your room during your stay. Hotel staff are responsible for the care of the fish and you can relax next to your aquarium and lower your stress levels.
  1. The Benjamin in New York has a sleep specialist on staff who offers guidance through the “Rest & Renew” program. Part of this program includes special pillows that guests can order off of the “pillow menu” and includes a power nap kit.

  1. At Provence Hotels your pet will be taken care of. This hotel has an in-room massage package that includes Reiki treatments and more. They have an in-house pet psychologist, pet grooming, dog walking and more.
  1. Finally, for guests who need a fragrance pick-me-up, the Vancouver Hotel Georgia offers a fragrance butler. Yes, this is true. He will come to your room with ten fragrances on a silver platter and you can select from the high-end brands to smell your best.

Bucklist for Retirees Shows They are Ready to Roll

A recent survey asked 1000 retirees to discuss their ultimate bucket list of locations that they hope to hit before they die. Fidelity Worldwide Investment conducted the survey, finding the retirees are really ready for some adventure.

25% want to take a cruise in the Caribbean while 23% are interested in a scenic train trip across Europe. 20% want to go to the Grand Canyon – but they want to do so from a helicopter.

While everyone dreams, only 20% believe that they will be able to get everything done from their to-do list.

As Maike Currie, associate investment director at Fidelity Worldwide Investment said, “People no longer see hitting age 65, traditionally the so-called “retirement age”, in the same light as they did in the past. Many people over 65 are healthy, active and independent. As the survey’s findings show, rather than slowing down and taking it easy, today’s retirees plan to live life to the full. They are keen to travel the world and make the most of their golden years. In many ways 65 is the new 50.”

Here is the list that the survey found for retirees:

TOP BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS
1. View Aurora Borealis, Norway (29%)

2. Go on a cruise in the Caribbean (25%)
3. Inter rail across Europe (23%)
4. Take a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon and the Las Vegas strip (20%)
5. Ride a gondola in Venice (18%)
6. Walk the Great Wall of China (18%)
7. Go on Route 66 road trip in US (18%)
8. See the Taj Mahal in India (17%)
9. Go on an African safari (17%)
10. Visit the pyramids in Egypt (15%)

Running for Heart Help

running

While some people hate running, they just might want to start. Scientists at Iowa State University who analyzed 55, 137 adults aged 18-100 found that healthy exercise doesn’t have to be extensive or time-consuming. They have published their findings in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

They actually followed participants for 15 years, during which more than 3000 died. The findings were as follows. Runners, who only made up 25% of the study’s population, had a 30% lower risk of death from all causes and a 45% lower risk of death from heart disease and stroke than did non-runners. They also lived three years longer.

Even more surprising was the amount that you need to run. These found these results for people who ran less than 51 minutes a week – only seven minutes a day. This was true for people who ran slower than six miles an hour and fewer than six miles a week.


As lead scientist Dr Duck-Chul Lee explained, “Since time is one of the strongest barriers to participate in physical activity, the study may motivate more people to start running and continue to run as an attainable health goal for mortality benefits. Running may be a better exercise option than more moderate intensity exercises for healthy but sedentary people.”

He goes on to explain, “[This is because] it produces similar, if not greater, mortality benefits in five to 10 minutes, compared to the 15 to 20 minutes per day of moderate intensity activity that many find too time consuming.”

So how long do you have to keep running? Study participants who ran on a regular basis for six year experienced the biggest benefit. This amount of activity reduced their risk of death from heart disease by 50%.

Saying Goodbye to Tattoos

tattDo you hate that daisy you had put on your arm when you were a teen? Do you regret emblazoning “Jason” on your forearm? Are you having issues with the lion’s tail you put on your shoulder blades?

Tattoos have been quite the rage for years now, but people are actually starting to regret those ink jobs more now than ever. Revenue for tattoo removal has actually surged a whopping 440% in the last decade, according to Marketwatch. This amounts to an estimated $75.5 million.

Hollywood paves the way in so many trends, and this may certainly be one of them. Those who have removed their body art in recent years include Eva Longoria, Megan Fox, and even the famously tattooed Angelina Jolie.

The good news in the tattoo removal world is that it no longer requires pain, surgery and scaring. Laser technology now allows users to break down the ink work in the skin using several colors of laser light. Red light is used, for instance, on blue, black and red inks; green light is used for red and orange.

As San Francisco-based plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Kulick said, “What is attractive in your 20s is not so attractive in your 30s. The ideal color for removal is black because that tattoo will be at the same depth in the skin and the same wavelength for the laser to remove the ink. Now it’s very fashionable to have pastels and yellow, which is very difficult to remove.”