JUST THE FACTS
BREAKFAST MATTERS
Research in the Journal of the
American College of Cardiology
surveyed men and women
who didn’t have cardiovascular
disease or kidney disease and
discovered that risk of hardened
arteries, or atherosclerosis,
was higher among both breakfast
skippers and in-betweeners.
Those groups also had bigger
waists and body mass, along
with higher blood pressure and
fasting glucose levels.
SNOOZE ALARM
DON’T SHOP HUNGRY
Photos of junk food like candy, ice cream, and pizza can distract you
when you’re hungry, even if you’re working intently on another task,
according to a study that was published in the journal Psychonomic
Bulletin and Review. Also interesting: After you taste a little junk
food, your cravings subside and you can concentrate better.
Sleep is crucial for making sure your
muscles and other bodily systems have
the time and resources to rebuild, clean
out waste, and, well, just rest. And it goes
beyond muscle: A lack of proper sleep
can increase your likelihood of obesity,
according to a new study in PLoS One—
people who slept an average of six hours
a night typically had waistlines measuring
a little over one inch more than people
who got nine hours of sleep.
GAME TIME
20
FLEX | JANUARY ’18
BROCCOLI IS YOUR BRO
Gamifying your fitness routine could
help you increase your activity,
according to a new study published
in JAMA Internal Medicine. In the
study, a 24-week clinical trial, half
of the 200 people played a game
with their families in which points
were earned through activities
like “collaboration,” “accountability,”
and “physical exercise.” They found
that those who played the game
met their activity goals on more
days and had a greater increase in
average daily steps, compared
with the group who wasn’t involved
in the game.