Connect the Dots Trying to lose weight? According to a new study, there's a
simple way to improve your chances that your diet will be
successful. You don't have to purchase anything, and you
don't have to take any prescriptions or exotic supplements.
And add this to the bargain: you might also reduce your risk
of a disability later in life. Sound too good to be true? Well it is. Because in order to get
this weight-loss benefit you'll be required to do something
far more difficult than shell out a few dollars: You'll have to
discipline yourself to get more sleep. ------------------------------------------------------------
Sweet dreams
------------------------------------------------------------ Except for my nephew who is four years old, I don't believe I
know anyone who's getting enough sleep. I don't. My
husband doesn't. My friends, family, colleagues - none of
them seem to get enough sleep on a regular basis. Most of us
are too rushed and too busy (especially at this time of year) to
make sure we get seven to eight hours per night, which is
considered ideal for most people. By some estimates, Americans average about six hours per
night. That may be enough for some. But if you want to help
make your diet work, you'll probably need more than that,
according to a study from Columbia University, presented at
the annual scientific meeting of the North American
Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO). Researchers used almost 10 years of data collected on nearly
18,000 subjects who took part in the National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES); a study that
gathered information on general dietary and health habits.
After accounting for other factors that contribute to obesity,
the Columbia team reported these estimates: - Less than four hours of sleep per night increases obesity
risk by 73 percent, compared to subjects who slept seven to
nine hours each night - An average of five hours of sleep per night increases
obesity risk by 50 percent - An average of six hours of sleep per night increases obesity
risk by 23 percent
The researchers believe that body chemistry might explain
the link between sleep deprivation and obesity. A lack of
sleep increases grehlin, a hormone that sends a hunger signal
to the brain. At the same time, the level of a protein called
leptin drops. Leptin helps suppress appetite, so when the
level is low, appetite increases. Combine too much grehlin
and too little leptin, and you've set the stage for an intake of
too many calories. ------------------------------------------------------------
The middle way
------------------------------------------------------------ For those diligent souls who find a way to reduce their
waking hours and get more sleep, a reduced risk of obesity is
just part of the reward. Because if body weight is controlled -
especially abdominal fat - simple daily tasks may be more
manageable in later years. In another study presented at the NAASO annual meeting,
researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical
Center demonstrated how abdominal fat may play a role in
disability among the elderly. More than 9,000 subjects were
measured for waist-to-hip ratio, weight and height. Nine
years later these measurements were taken again. At that time
the subjects also answered questionnaires about their ability
to perform typical daily activities such as household chores,
cooking, dressing, etc. The researchers found that subjects whose abdominal fat
increased over the follow-up period were less able to
adequately care for themselves and complete the daily tasks
most of us take for granted. Of course, this is only one drawback to out-of-control
abdominal fat. Of more concern is the development of
metabolic syndrome, for which abdominal fat is one of the
key symptoms. As I've mentioned in previous e-Alerts, when
an expanding waistline is combined with high blood pressure
and elevated levels of triglycerides and C-reactive protein,
risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes rises sharply. I'm not suggesting that getting a little more sleep each night
is all it will take to prevent the development of abdominal fat
or metabolic syndrome. But when we connect these dots, and
then connect others - such as daily exercise and a balanced
diet free of refined simple carbohydrates - a picture of good
health emerges. **************************************************************
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…and another thing
When speaking on the record, researchers commonly use
tightly-laced, unemotional language to discuss matters in
their field. So I sat up and took notice when I came across
this stinging quote: "I'm not interested in having this clinical
trial mucked up by shyster science." Yeah! Now you're talking! That statement appeared in a recent issue of the Puget Sound
Business Journal, and was uttered by Dr. Charles Coltman,
Jr., who is the principal investigator of an important new
study that's large enough to have a name: the Selenium and
Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT). I came across the Puget Sound article when I was researching
the e-Alert about selenium I sent you last Tuesday, "Dirt
Rich" (12/7/04). By normal research standards, the SELECT
trial can be considered massive. It's a 12-year trial that
involves about 35,000 healthy men, and it's funded by the
National Cancer Institute, at an estimated cost of about $170
million. No small potatoes. The purpose of the trial is to determine if vitamin E
supplements, or selenium supplements, or both of the
supplements taken together can reduce prostate cancer risk in
men 55 or older. But then along comes a flawed little pipsqueak study and
nearly ruins everything. In the e-Alert "The Purest Bunk" (11/16/04), I told you about
the recent review of vitamin E studies that found high doses
of vitamin E to be potentially fatal. This grossly generalized
conclusion fails to account for the fact that most of the
subjects in the studies already had grave diseases, including
cancer, heart disease, kidney failure, etc. In other words,
healthy people need not be alarmed. (In fact, the research was
so flawed that unhealthy people should probably also not be
alarmed. But that's another story.) The mainstream media reported this research with scare
headlines (but with barely a mention of the flaws, of course),
so you can imagine what happened. Dr. Coltman and his
colleagues were besieged with e-mails and calls from study
subjects who feared for their lives. For a moment it appeared
that the trial might be in jeopardy. Fortunately, the crisis seems to have passed and the trial is
still on track. But it points up just how potentially destructive
poor research can be. Or - put another way - how something
truly useful can easily get "mucked up by shyster science." To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute **************************************************************
PUT AN END TO YOUR SLEEPING TROUBLES? Everyone has occasional trouble sleeping - and sleep problems
generally increase as we age. But even occasional sleep
problems can damage your health and make you old before your
time. Here's some good news, though. New research shows that
it's possible t * Easily enter a state of deep, restful sleep whenever you
want.
* Regain the natural ability to sleep soundly.
* Regain the ability to produce vital life enhancing
substances at the same (or even higher) levels as you did
when you were much younger. To find out how you can retrain your brain and start sleeping
like a baby, visit: http://www.youreletters.com/t/87238/6626398/659052/0/
************************************************************* Sources:
"Lack of Sleep May Lead to Excess Weight" Abstract #42-
OR, North American Association for the Study of Obesity,
Annual Scientific Meeting, 11/16/04, naaso.org
"Too Much Belly Fat May Up Later Disability Risk"
Charnicia E. Huggins, Reuters Health, 11/17/04,
reutershealth.com
"Massive Study Threatened by Vitamin E Report Scare"
Greg Lamm, Puget Sound Business Journal, 11/28/04,
msnbc.com | 
