Health News__
Children Who Sleep Poorly at Risk for Being Overweigh

..... Getting too little sleep or not spending enough time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is associated with being overweight among children and teens, a new U.S. study.
For three consecutive nights, researchers assessed the sleep patterns of 335 youngsters, aged 7 to 17. They looked at total sleep time, time spent in REM, and time it took to fall asleep. Body-mass index was checked at the start of the study, and 45 participants (13.4 percent) were overweight, while 49 (14.6 percent) were at risk for becoming overweight.
..... Compared to normal-weight children, those who were overweight slept about 22 minutes less per night and had lower sleep efficiency (percentage of time in bed that a person is asleep), shorter REM sleep, less eye activity during REM sleep, and a longer wait before the first REM period.
..... After they adjusted for other factors, the researchers concluded that one hour less of total sleep was associated with a twofold increased risk of being overweight. One hour less of REM sleep was associated with a threefold increased risk.
..... They explained that sleep loss causes changes in hormone levels that may affect hunger, and less sleep also means a person has more waking hours in which to eat. Sleep loss also contributes to fatigue the following day, which may lead to less physical activity and fewer calories burned.

....Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to lose mass and become thin and brittle. Weaker bones mean there is more risk of breaks, which can result in pain, deformity, and other serious consequences. As people age their bodies start to re-absorb calcium from their bones, leading to some loss in bone density. Osteoporosis occurs when the bone loss is excessive
How can you prevent osteoporosis?
You can reduce your risk for osteoporosis by making healthy choices about what you put into your body. Follow these basic guidelines:
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables — at least 5–10 servings a day. This will give you nutrients that help keep your bones strong and prevent fractures.
• Limit your daily salt intake to less than 2100 mg.
• Limit your daily alcohol intake to two beverages or less. Maximum weekly intake should be 9 alcoholic beverages for women and 14 for men.
• Limit your daily caffeine intake to three cups of coffee, tea, or soda.
• Quit smoking.
Other things you can do to help prevent osteoporosis include getting enough calcium, getting enough vitamin D, and staying physically active.

Recommended daily intake levels for calcium
Age	Daily intake level (from all sources)
women and men over 50 years	1500 mg
women and men 19–50 years	1000 mg
pregnant or lactating women 18 years or older	1000 mg
adolescent children 9–18 years	1300 mg
prepubescent children 4–8 years	800 mg
..... Ask your Peoples pharmacist about calcium supplements and vitamin D if your diet does not provide enough calcium. Your body will absorb calcium better if you get enough vitamin D.