Don't Get Too Skinny

By Craig Ballantyne

It seems strange in this day and age to recommend gaining weight. But according to research from the United Kingdom, being too skinny as you age can kill.

Doctors studied 4,107 men aged 60-79 for six years. During that time, 713 of the men died. Here's some of what the researchers learned when they analyzed the data:

• The underweight men (those with a body mass index of less than 18.5) had an exceptionally high risk of death.

• Those with more muscle mass had a reduced risk of death.

• Men with a waist circumference under 102 cm and with above-average muscle mass had the lowest risk of death. As waist size increased, so did the risk of death.

The doctors concluded that having a slim waist and training for muscle mass are two ways to help prolong your life. That's a good reason to include total-body strength training and interval cardio training in your workout three times a week.

It's Fun to Know: Autumn Leaves

If you live in a part of the country where most of the trees lose their leaves before winter sets in, you may have wondered why some of those leaves turn red and some turn yellow. Well, a University of North Carolina undergrad has found that it has to do with the amount of nutrients in the soil surrounding the tree. Soil rich in nitrogen-containing nutrients tends to produce yellow-leafed trees in the fall. Soil poor in nutrients are more likely to produce red leaves.

(Source: National Geographic)

Word to the Wise: Presentiment

"Presentiment" (prih-ZEN-tuh-munt) is another word for "premonition." The word is from the Latin for "to feel beforehand."

Example (as used by Nina Berberova in Cape of Storms, as translated by Marian Schwartz): "He'd had a presentiment of this. Yes, he had known that this was precisely what would be said."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2222, 12-11-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

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