subject: Is Happiness More Than A Fat Chance? [print this page] Happiness comes from the priorities we set - not from genetics or upbringing - not from major life events. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences analyzed data from 60,000 Germans over a 25-year period. According to the findings, the more people prioritized such goals as relationships and health, the happier they were. Those who prioritized being rich or successful were less happy. Women whose partner had a lower priority for family goals were less satisfied with life than single women. We can't buy happiness, but we can reprioritize goals - and be good "goalkeepers".
Getting enough sleep is a healthy goal, especially as lack of sleep can interfere with weight loss. In a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 10 overweight or obese participants were divided into 2 groups for 28 days. One group got 8.5 hours sleep a night and the other group got 5.5. All got the same caloric intake and activity regimen. Although they lost the same amount of weight, the participants who had gotten less sleep lost less fat and more muscle. Sleep deprivation causes metabolism to break down carbohydrates and protein instead of fat. Nevertheless, dieters should try not to lose sleep over this.
Where you gain fat makes a difference. In a study done at the Mayo Clinic, 28 participants ate whatever they wanted for 2 months. On average they gained 5.5 pounds of fat on their upper body (abdomen) and 3.3 pounds of fat on their lower body (thigh). Abdominal fat increases by fat cells expanding. Thigh fat increases by the number of fat cells increasing. However, the 2 fatty areas had opposite effects on the risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes. Abdominal fat increased the risk and thigh fat decreased it. This information could cause some "thighs" of relief.
Of course, "where you gain weight" may be at work. Researchers at the University of Montreal looked at health information from hundreds of thousands of Canadians and found obesity increased 10% between 1978 and 2004. Since people are eating better and exercising more than in the 1970's, the researchers concluded the weight gain is due to people being more sedentary at the office. The researchers suggested exercising in small doses throughout the day, walking during break times and taking stairs instead of elevators. It seems spending too much time sitting at the office is an unhealthy "sit-uation".
