When we’re kids, we wake up at six or seven to catch our favorite show in the morning. Then we’d have a nice cup of milk, then hit the hay at nine. But as we get older, we tend to sleep later and wake up later (unless it’s a school or work day, of course). And this, my late night prowlers, is partially what makes you overweight.
Studies by scientists at the University of South Australia show that kids who slept earlier and woke up earlier were 1.5 times less likely to be obese. The number of hours that each kid slept did not matter, only the times of the day at which they slept and woke up. Also, kids who tend to sleep late were twice as physically inactive. And not only that but they also spend more time in front of the TV or computer. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
So it isn’t just the fact that we sleep less than the recommended amount. It’s also when we choose to sleep. For those people who wake up early in the morning, they are more likely to get exercise, just as people are more likely to be technologically active (whether it’d be social networking or watching TV) during the night. The early sleepers tended to get about 30 minutes more exercise than the late night sleepers. And those late night sleepers tended to play games or be online about 50 minutes longer than early sleepers. And on a random note, the late night sleepers had fewer siblings and came from a lower income household in a big city.
One of the major problems is that so many students remain sitting in front of the computer far longer than they should. The issue with getting sleep earlier doesn’t just have to do with computers and TV but procrastination. In an ideal world, we’d do our work as they’re assigned, take a break by watching some TV or chatting with friends online then going to sleep early (around 10 or 11 p.m.). Then we’d start off the next day, early, get some exercise and continue our daily routine. But to be frank, so many of us tend to sleep late, push our work aside, wake up late on weekends, trying to catch up on lost sleep and what do we get? Fat.
[gasp], I was enjoying this article until the last word, a “f” word, came out of nowhere! I think I speak for all readers that “fluffy,” is the politically correct word for that last obscene word! There is no need to attack fluffy people’s self ofsteam, nor those who can’t spell “fluffy” instead of “fat” to save their lives…
Anyhow, kudos! to those that after 50 years after the advent of fast food, still haven’t digested the world’s in-your-face hints that maybe, just maybe, that they ought to contemplate a change to their dietary rituals. Studies showed that 1 in 5 children under 19 and 1 in 3 adult in that land of the “f” are fluffy! Talk about shocking FIGURES. But, just what is wrong about being fluffy? Huh? NOTHING. The conclusion from the “scientists” mentioned in the article, is, in moral terms, fallacious and utterly unscientific! A more scholarly, less idiosyncratic examination of the evidence leads to exactly the opposite conclusion. That fluffly people are far, far more likely to survive under harsh circumstances, namely famine. Now let’s talk about the ridiculous appeal to authority in the article, University of South Australia… south Australia, talk about a good joke! You can see a kangaroo jump across the desert and see it hopping for days, and on a random note, there’s a smart scientist behind every tree over there. Before we all jump onto the bandwagon and herald their “study” as inherently true, we should look at what they said:“people who tend to sleep late were twice as physically inactive,” what does that mean? Well for one it’s saying “healthy enjoyment of one’s adulthood can bring about not just STD, but also fluffiness!” Now how do we treat that, a diet and a Scarlet A? that’s just a little joke of mine… Those nitwits also said “30 minutes more exercise blah blah… blah 50 minutes longer,” guess who can’t do math? The late-sleepers (and apparently, fluffy) are awake 20 minutes more than the lazy who hit the hay at 9. That’s 5 whole days (120 hours) more of physically active time per year for the late sleepers, yet, yet the scientists are self-righteously claiming that fluffy people are only half as active as those early sleepers? On another not-so-random note, turns out one doesn’t really need a high school math course to be admitted to U of South Australia. So back to my more informed opinion, there is NOTHING WRONG WITH fluffiness, I admit, I have a strong disposition and affection for fat cats, but that’s not relevant.
If fluffiness bothers you soooooo much, I do recommend the garlic diet. You don’t actually lose weight, but er… from a distance, people will think you look thinner!
Wow David, I don’t know what to say about your enthusiasm ._.
Of course being fluffy isn’t completely a bad thing; however, the fact that people aren’t getting enough exercise is. I’m not even sure that I stated being “fluffy” was a bad thing; I stated that the time at which you choose to sleep will impact your… “fluffiness.” And is it really likely that people who live in a society where they can even become “fluffy” in the first place will face a famine? I don’t believe there was anything I said that suggested exactly what time those people from the Australian studies went to bed. The stats regarding the 30 minutes and 50 minutes were merely to show that early sleepers are more physically active throughout the day (whenever that may be) and that late night sleepers stayed on the computer far longer than is recommended (probably late into the night).
Or even better than garlic, especially if you hate garlic, is just to wear black.