Turn off the lights when you go to bed - Even dim light at night may trigger obesity

Posted by Neill Abayon

You are getting the same amount of exercise as always, you aren't taking in any more calories than usual and yet you keep on gaining weight. So you may be wondering what on earth is going on with your body. Maybe the question you should be asking yourself is this one: what lights are on in your bedroom at night? According to new research, persistent exposure to light at night may lead to weight gain, even without decreasing physical activity or eating more food.

The study, just published in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involved animals. However, the findings raise serious questions about whether the human body is also at risk from altered metabolism and weight gain from too much light exposure at night.

An Ohio State University research team found that mice exposed to a fairly dim light at night over about a two month period experienced a gain in body mass that was approximately 50 percent more than other mice who lived and slept in a normal light-dark cycle. "Although there were no differences in activity levels or daily consumption of food, the mice that lived with light at night were getting fatter than the others," Laura Fonken, a doctoral student in neuroscience at Ohio State who headed the study, said in a statement to the media.

Read the full article here.

5 Powerful Reasons to Eat Slower

Posted by Neill Abayon

One of the problems in our daily lives is that many of us rush through the day, with no time for anything … and when we have time to get a bite to eat, we gobble it down.

That leads to stressful, unhealthy living.

And with the simple but powerful act of eating slower, we can begin to reverse that lifestyle immediately. How hard is it? You take smaller bites, you chew each bite slower and longer, and you enjoy your meal longer.

It takes a few minutes extra each meal, and yet it can have profound effects.

Read the full article here.

Women Warned: Eat Less or Weigh More

Posted by Neill Abayon

Women who don't try to eat less more than double their risk of substantial weight gain in middle age, a three-year study shows.

If you're a 40-something woman, it doesn't matter whether you're thin or overweight -- odds are, you'll gain weight over time if you don't make an effort to cut back on what you eat.

The finding comes from a study of 192 women with an average age of 40 by Brigham Young University researchers Larry A. Tucker, PhD, and Laura Bates. The women were not obese, had not yet reached menopause, and did not smoke.

At the start of the study the women underwent detailed physical exams, including measures of weight and body fat. They also underwent a seven-day analysis of the food they ate, in which they weighed and recorded every bit of food they put into their mouths.

Three years later, the women underwent another round of physical exams and food-intake analysis. The bottom line was no surprise: Women tend to gain weight and body fat as they age and become less physically active.

Read the full article here.