“Childhood Obesity: UK Plan Attacked as ‘Weak’ and ‘Watered Down’” – BBC News, August 18, 2016
A debate is raging in the UK about the government’s policies aimed at tackling child obesity.
“The Health Benefits of Decoupling Money and Masculinity” – The Atlantic, August 18, 2016
New research shows that Millennial men’s well-being improved by staying at home, while women’s improved by being the breadwinner.
“Olympic Athletes Prove That Older Doesn’t Have To Mean Slower” – NPR, August 16, 2016
At the recent Olympics we saw amazing performances by athletes in their 30s and 40s – refuting the once commonplace idea that aging athletes could not perform at the highest levels.
While research shows that older athletes tend to need longer recovery time and tweaks to their training, like running underwater rather than on a road – new research also shows that physiological aging happens very different for very active people (like Olympians) than sedentary ones; that individuals over 50 are not too fragile to work out hard; and gender has no impact on the aging/performance equation. Additionally, today’s older top athletes have better and better equipment and training techniques – and it’s rewriting the idea that aging means “slower” or “less strong.”
“This Teacher Banned Homework So Kids Could Learn from Life Instead” – Quartz, August 24, 2016
Many people feel that increasingly intense academic standards and high-stakes testing are taking a toll on kid’s mental health. “Children today are less free than they have ever been,” says Peter Gray, a psychologist and professor at Boston College. Read this story to find out what one teacher did to remedy this.
“Why 4 A.M. Is the Most Productive Hour” – The Wall Street Journal, August 23, 2016
The rationale for waking up at 4 a.m. and feeling well: “When you have peace and quiet and you’re not concerned with people trying to get your attention, you’re dramatically more effective and can get important work done,” says psychologist Josh Davis, director of research at the NeuroLeadership Institute and author of the book, “Two Awesome Hours,” about using science-based tools to enhance productivity.
A Striking Stat:
A new study provides evidence that taxing sugary drinks has a real impact. The city of Berkeley, Calif. passed a soda tax in 2014, and four months later, a new study shows self-reported consumption of soda fell 21 percent – with residents also reported to be drinking more water.
Source: School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 6/2016
