Late-Night Munchies
Add Pounds in College
Late-night eating is one key to the weight gain seen in a lot of college students, according to a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting in June. The study tracked 212 sedentary students' eating habits for 12 weeks. Their average intake between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. was about 500 calories – roughly 20 percent of their daily intake of 2,300 calories. In three months, they gained an average of 1.1 pounds. How can students avoid late-night calories? "Limiting alcohol and avoiding fast food are two potential strategies," says study lead author Gretchen A. Speer of the University of Kansas.

How to Get Ready for a Winter Workout

• Do warm-up and stretching exercises indoors on very cold days.
• Drink plenty of water before (and after) you exercise.
• Choose footwear to match the weather. Leather shoes or boots will keep your feet dryer than canvas shoes.
• Check the temperature and wind chill factor before you exercise outdoors. Dress accordingly.
• Dress in layers – a thin layer next to your body, then an insulated layer and a wind-resistant outer layer.
• Wear a hat and gloves or mittens.
• Wear sunglasses and sunscreen, even on cloudy days.

By the Numbers
77.6 YEARS
Average U.S. life expectancy at birth in 2003; women (80.1) fare better than men (74.8)
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

26,984 PEOPLE
Record-high number of Americans who received organ transplants in 2004
Source: Department of Health and Human Services

$36.5 BILLION
Private health care spending linked to obesity in 2002
Source: Study in Health Affairs

21.6 PERCENT
Percentage of U.S. adults who smoked in 2003 – down 5 percent in two years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

95 DEGREES
Life-threatening body temperature that marks hypothermia (extreme cold)
Source: National Institute on Aging

3,767 DEATHS
Estimated toll this year from smog in 95 of the largest U.S. cities
Source: Journal of the American Medical Association

Diabetes Can Harm the Eyes
Exams found early signs of eye damage in one out of each 13 people diagnosed with "prediabetes" in a study released at an American Diabetes Association meeting in June. Those patients had the first stages of diabetic retinopathy, the top cause of adult blindness. In pre-diabetes, blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to constitute diabetes. Among patients who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the study found slight eye damage within an average of three years after diagnosis. "These findings reinforce the recommendation that patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes should be screened for retinopathy," says Dr. Emily Chew of the National Eye Institute. "We advise good control of blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as regular eye exams."

Pregnant? Think, Don't Drink
If you're pregnant or might become pregnant, think before you drink. U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona warns women to avoid alcohol to head off birth defects. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) range from learning and growth problems to central nervous system damage. Doctors don't know what, if any, amount of alcohol is safe for unborn children. "When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, so does her baby. Therefore, it's in the child's best interest for a pregnant woman to simply not drink alcohol," Dr. Carmona says. Studies show alcohol could affect a baby in the first weeks after conception, before a woman knows she is pregnant.

Many People Believe Myths About Cancer
An American Cancer Society survey asked 957 adults if five myths were true or false. Just one in four people knew that all five were wrong.

Myth: Treating cancer with surgery can spread it through the body.
Percent who believe it: 41%

Myth: The medical industry is withholding a cure for cancer to increase profits.
Percent who believe it: 27%

Myth: Pain medications can't control cancer pain.
Percent who believe it: 19%

Myth: All you need to beat cancer is a positive attitude, not treatment.
Percent who believe it: 7%

Myth: Cancer can't be treated effectively.
Percent who believe it: 7%

Source: Cancer, August 2005

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