WELLINGTON, September 19 (Xinhua) -- If your teenage son won't get out of bed in the morning, then take comfort from the fact that he might be sleeping his way to a healthier future, according to a new research from New Zealand.

Researchers in human nutrition at the University of Otago have found that teenage boys who sleep less have more body fat when compared to girls, for whom lack of sleep has no noticeable effect on their body fat ratios.

The study of 386 boys and 299 girls aged 15 to 18 found that average-sized 16-year-old boy weighing 69.5 kg and 176 cm tall, who slept for eight hours a day, had a waist size l.8 cm bigger and l.6 kg, or 9 percent, more body fat than the average-sized boy who slept 10 hours a day.

"The boys who slept eight hours a day would also have l.8 kg more lean (bone and muscle) mass compared to the boys who slept 10 hours, but that's only a 1.4-percent increase, compared to the 9- percent increase seen in body fat," said lead researcher from the Department of Human Nutrition, Dr. Paula Skidmore.

"Our results suggest that for older teenage boys, making sure that they get enough sleep may help to maintain a healthier body. It seems to be that, within reason, the more sleep the better for boys," Skidmore said in a statement Thursday.

"It was unexpected that we did not find the same result in girls, who may actually be more aware of their diet and more in tune with a healthier lifestyle."

The researchers ruled out the effects of food choice and number of screens, such as televisions, games and consoles, which the teenagers had in their bedrooms.

1.What's the research really about?

A. Boys and girls.      B. Food and weight.           C. Sleep and health.          D. Screens and fat.

2.What's the result of less sleep for teenage boys?

A. Bigger waist and more fat in the body.

B. An increase in weight and height.

C. More concerned with their diet.

D. A decrease in bone and muscle.

3.From the sixth paragraph we can infer that ______.

A. girls usually sleep less and have healthier lifestyles than boys

B. the researchers expected to see the same result in girls

C. peoples' diet has a great effect on their health

D. boys are usually lazier than girls

4.Who would be the most pleased to hear the news?

A. Teachers.    B. Girls.         C. Parents. .            D. Boys.

 

The Hidden Health Issue: Emotional Well-Being

The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health has just released the results from the second annual Bay Annual Parent Poll, a telephone survey of nearly 1,800 parents from Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco. San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties in California.

For the second year in a row. Bay Area parents have put their children’s emotional health at the top of their worry list, highlighting a health risk not usually discussed. Parents across economic, ethnic, and geographic lines say that they worry about stress, depression, weight, and the impact of family stress on their kids.

Stress and Depression

About 65% of the parents of teenagers say their children experience stress from schoolwork, pressure to compete in school, divorce and family finances. In addition, 25% of the parents worry that their children might be depressed. Comparatively, less than 10% of the parents of the teens are concerned about their children smoking cigarettes, using alcohol or smoking marijuana.

Other Results

Family Time: More than 25% of the parents say they do not spend enough time together as a family.

Media: More than 45% of the parents way that the media have a negative effect on their teens.

It is clear from the results of this survey that parents of older teens are more worried about their emotional health, and I would guess that part of this finding reflects parents not feeling “connected” to their teens. We know that stress and depression are predictors for teens participating in many unhealthy behaviors, including drinking and smoking.

Not only do these results call for schools and health care to regularly assess the emotional well-being of teens, it is also a wake-up call for parents to “engage” with both the health care and educational systems to support changes to reduce the stress our youth are feeling.

1．What is the greatest stress for the Bay Area Children in the parents’ opinions?

      A．Activities like sports, music, arts.

       B．Difficulties with family members.

       C．Pressure to compete in school.

       D．Homework and schoolwork.

2．According to the survey, parents worry most about their kids’            .

       A．unhealthy behaviors                             B．emotional health

       C．physical health                                     D．school lessons

3．How many parents think that the media have a bad effect on their teens?

       A．One out of ten.                                    B．Over a quarter.    

       C．Nearly a half.                                      D．About two thirds.

4．We can conclude from the results of the survey that           .

       A．children’s health risk should be highlighted

       B．parents should help to reduce children’s stress

       C．educational systems should be completely changed

       D．parents should prevent their children from bad behaviors