Keep off your fat pals to stay trim

Want to stay trim? Well, then do away with your fat pals, mounting evidence suggests. A new American research has found a strong link between teenagers’ own weight and that of their closest peers, reports. The journal Economics and Human Biology justifies the notion of imitative obesity aping of friends who gain weight. It came to the conclusion after looking at data on nearly 5,000 teenagers, many of whom were later followed up after two year interval. After analyses, researchers found friendships between the adolescents tended to cluster according to weight, meaning overweight children tended to hang out together. When they looked at weight changes over time, they found having a fat friend could lead to weight gain for a child. The study authors from the University of Hawaii say they cannot tell from their work whether overweight teens influence their friends to become overweight or whether obese adolescents simply choose to flock together. A spokeswoman from weight concern said: “We do learn from our peers and eat with our friends, so these children may be picking up unhealthy habits.” “But I would not assume that the overweight teenagers are necessarily the ones with the bad habits. Most teenagers have unhealthy diets, but not all of them are obese,” he said. “And most of the food consumed is still at home with the family,” added the spokesman said.

Genes that modulate stress response identified

A Baylor University researcher claim to have discovered certain genes that modulates stress responses, which could cause some people to take drugs and consume alcohol. Dr Doug Matthews, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor, has found a small section on chromosome one that is responsive to a particular type of stress in animal models. He then identified the genes in this region that could be responsible for the behavioural response to stress, like alcohol consumption.

Low Vitamin D level not good for heart

Low levels of Vitamin D and other nutrients may not be good for the health of your heart, according to latest research. Recent studies have identified low vitamin D levels as a common problem with many adverse health effects, including higher rates of cardiovascular disease. People with vitamin D deficiency are at increased risk of high blood pressure, heart failure and heart disease, according to Suzanne Judd, University of Alabama, and Vin Tangpricha of Emory University. In heart disease patients, low vitamin D may increase the risk of high blood pressure or sudden death.

Bed sharing 'risk babies' lives'

Parents are being warned not to risk their babies' lives by sharing a bed with them while sleeping. Latest evidence released by the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) shows bed sharing is implicated in about half of cot deaths. The risk is greatest if either parent smokes, has been drinking or is very tired. Even without these factors, the charity said that the safest place for a baby to sleep was its own cot. Dr Chris Wright, consultant perinatal pathologist at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, examined 15 cases of unexpected death in infants between 2008 and 2009 - seven were found in the parental bed and two had died on a sofa. In the London area between 2005 and 2008, 173 babies died suddenly and unexpectedly. And 85 of these infants were found dead after falling asleep in bed with an adult or on a sofa.