Part III

Other Influences

As has been suggested by previous smaller studies, how long people slept each night

influenced their weight changes. In general, people who slept less than six hours or more than eight hours a night tended to gain the most. Among possible explanations are effects of short nights on satiety hormones, as well as an opportunity to eat more while awake, Dr. Hu said.

He was not surprised by the finding that the more television people watched, the more weight they gained, most likely because they are influenced by a barrage of food ads and snacking in front of the TV.

Alcohol intake had an interesting relationship to weight changes. No significant effect was found among those who increased their intake to one glass of wine a day, but increases in

other forms of alcohol were likely to bring added pounds.

As expected, changes in smoking habits also influenced weight changes. Compared with people who never smoked, those who had quit smoking within four previous years gained

an average of 5.17 pounds. Subsequent weight gain was minimal--0.14 pound for each four year period.

Those who continued smoking lost 0.7 pound in each four year period, which the researchers

surmised may have resulted from undiagnosed underlying disease, especially since those who took up smoking experience no change in weight.

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My take:

After reading this article I was more convinced of the validity of the Ideal Protein Protocol.

The article may help you understand what may be influencing your weight changes.

Anyway, food for thought!!