Family Health and Nutrition

A new study finds that hard exercise makes people less hungry than easy exercise, especially for women.

Here's the simple breakdown

• Ghrelin: This is a hormone that makes you feel hungry.
• The study: Researchers had people do hard and easy exercises then measured their ghrelin levels.
• The results: Hard exercise lowered ghrelin more than easy exercise, meaning people felt less hungry after. This was especially true for women.

Why this matters

• Weight loss: If you're trying to lose weight, hard exercise might help you control your hunger better.
• Exercise as medicine: The researchers believe exercise should be treated like medicine, with different "doses" for different goals.

Basically, if you want to feel less hungry after exercise, push yourself harder!

About the study

The study examines the effects of exercise intensity on ghrelin levels and appetite between men and women. Ghrelin is known as the “hunger hormone” and is associated with perceptions of hunger.

“We found that high intensity exercise suppressed ghrelin levels more than moderate intensity exercise,” said lead author Kara Anderson, Ph.D., of the University of Virginia and the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, Va. “In addition, we found that individuals felt ‘less hungry’ after high intensity exercise compared to moderate intensity exercise.”

The study examined eight males and six females. Participants fasted overnight and then completed exercises of varying intensity levels, determined by measurements of blood lactate, followed by self-reported measurements of appetite.

Females had higher levels of total ghrelin at baseline compared with males, the study noted. But only females demonstrated a signifcant reduction following the intense exercise, according to the findings.

“We found that moderate intensity either did not change ghrelin levels or led to a net increase,” the study noted. These findings suggest that exercise above the lactate threshold “may be necessary to elicit a suppression in ghrelin.”

Researchers also acknowledged that more work is needed to determine the extent to which the effects of exercise differ by sex.

Ghrelin has been shown to have wide-ranging biological effects in areas including energy balance, appetite, glucose homeostasis, immune function, sleep, and memory.

“Exercise should be thought of as a ‘drug,’ where the ‘dose’ should be customized based on an individual’s personal goals,” Anderson said. “Our research suggests that high-intensity exercise may be important for appetite suppression, which can be particularly useful as part of a weight loss program.”

The manuscript, “The Impact of Exercise Intensity and Sex on Endogenous Ghrelin Levels and Appetite in Healthy Humans,” was published online.

While recent studies have found the ways that everything from stress to marijuana and climate change may affect consumers’ fertility, a new study is looking into the effect of socioeconomic factors. According to researchers from Oregon State University, where consumers live could impact the likelihood that women conceive. 

“The world of fertility research is beginning to examine factors associated with the built environment,” said researcher Mary Willis. “There are dozens of studies looking at how your neighborhood environment is associated with adverse birth outcomes, but the pre-conception period is heavily under-studied from a structural standpoint. Turns out, before you’ve even conceived, there may be things affecting your health.” 

What affects fertility health?

The researchers analyzed data from over 6,300 women between the ages of 21 and 45 enrolled in Boston University’s Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO) to better understand how consumers’ neighborhoods may affect their fertility. The women answered questionnaires every two months for a year, reporting on their pregnancy status, menstrual cycles, and addresses. The participants had all tried conceiving naturally between 2013 and 2019. 

Ultimately, the team learned that where the women lived played a role in the likelihood of them conceiving. The biggest differences came from advantaged areas versus disadvantaged areas. 

On a national level, women who lived in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods were 21% less likely to conceive during any single menstrual cycle. When looking at women at a statewide level, those living in disadvantaged neighborhoods were 25% less likely to conceive during a menstrual cycle. 

The researchers explained that the majority of the women involved in the study weren’t necessarily socioeconomically disadvantaged themselves. They were predominantly college-educated women who made at least $50,000 per year. However, where they lived proved to be a hindrance to their fertility. 

“The fact that we’re seeing the same results on the national and state level really shows that neighborhood deprivation can influence reproductive health, including fertility,” said Willis. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine explored the importance of kids getting enough sleep. According to their findings, young kids who aren’t getting at least nine hours of sleep each night may struggle with long-term brain and cognitive function. 

“We found that children who had insufficient sleep, less than nine hours per night, at the beginning of the study had less gray matter or smaller volume in certain areas of the brain responsible for attention, memory, and inhibition control compared to those with healthy sleep habits,” said researcher Ze Wang, Ph.D. “These differences persisted after two years, a concerning finding that suggests long-term harm for those who do not get enough sleep.” 

Health risks related to poor sleep

The researchers analyzed data from over 8,300 kids between the ages of nine and 10 who were enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The children’s parents completed surveys about their children’s sleeping habits when the study began and two years later. The team used that data and also evaluated the kids’ medical records and brain scans. 

Ultimately, not getting enough sleep was evident from both brain health and cognitive function standpoints. Kids who weren’t reaching nine hours of sleep on a nightly basis had less gray matter in certain parts of the brain. Over time, this can be detrimental to important cognitive skills. 

The study showed that insufficient sleep increased the risk of anxiety, depression, poor overall well-being, and impulsive behaviors. The researchers also found that a lack of sleep was linked with poorer outcomes in key areas like intelligence and memory. 

By the study’s two-year follow-up mark, these findings held up. Children who were struggling to sleep at least nine hours each night were still getting poor sleep each night. While children who were sleeping well when the study began started sleeping less as the study progressed, the team explained that this is expected as kids enter their teenage years. 

Knowing that there are long-term risks associated with poor sleep, the researchers hope parents recognize how important it is that their children regularly get a good night's sleep. 

“Sleep can often be overlooked during busy childhood days filled with homework and extracurricular activities. Now we see how detrimental that can be to a child’s development,” said researcher Dr. E. Albert Reece.

A new study conducted by researchers from University College London and the University of Helsinki explored how conception via infertility treatments may affect children long-term. According to their findings, these children may be at a higher risk of struggling with their mental health by the time they become teens. 

“Whilst we don’t have the data to explain why those born by medically assisted reproduction (MAR) are at a slightly higher risk of mental health disorders, we believe that this may be due to different mechanisms,” said researcher Hanna Remes. 

“The fact that MAR-conceived children tend to be firstborn – around 60% of the children in the study – explained some of the excess risks. It is also possible that because of the process they went through, parents of children conceived by IVF, for example, may have been exposed to mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, which may, in turn, have put the children themselves at higher risk of having mental health problems.” 

Mental health risks

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 280,000 Finnish children born between 1995 and 2000. They followed up with the kids when they were between the ages of 16 and 18 and assessed their mental health and academic performance. Among the children involved in the study, nearly 270,000 were conceived naturally, and nearly 14,000 were conceived through MAR. 

The study showed that a link between MAR conception and mental health struggles existed only when the researchers factored in family circumstances. They explained that while many couples who undergo fertility treatments tend to be financially secure, they may struggle with stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns as a result of struggling to conceive. The team said that this early exposure to mental health issues from their parents may make them predisposed to their own mental health issues as teens. 

“We explicitly put a lot of focus on the social demographics of families who conceived through medically assisted reproduction – and our findings underscore the importance of integrating this perspective in studies of medically assisted reproduction and its consequences,” said researcher Alice Goisis. 

The study also showed that children born via MAR had better academic outcomes than children conceived naturally. Similar to mental health outcomes, the researchers learned that the kids’ family demographics also played a role. Stable home environments led to fewer kids dropping out of school, better grades, and a lower risk of leaving home early. 

“What we’re seeing is mostly reassuring; children conceived through medically assisted reproduction do better overall and are in fact not more disadvantaged in terms of mental health outcomes,” said Goisis. “However, the fact that we observe an increased risk of mental health disorders once we account for family characteristics could be a cause for concern and merits further attention in future research.” 

A new study explored the effect that sports can have on kids’ mental health. The findings showed that while team sports were associated with a lower risk of mental health concerns for young athletes, individual sports may make kids more susceptible to mental health struggles. 

“Children and adolescents who played exclusively team sports, like basketball or soccer, had fewer mental health difficulties than those who did not participate in any organized sports,” the researchers wrote. “However, to our surprise, youth who had participated in only individual sports, had more mental health difficulties compared to those who did not participate in organized sports.” 

How sports affect mental health

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from more than 11,200 kids between the ages of nine and 13. Parents answered questions about what sports their kids played and completed the Child Behavior Checklist to give the researchers some insight into the kids’ mental health. The researchers then compared how the kids’ history with sports affected their mental health. 

The study revealed a positive association between kids who played team sports and strong mental health outcomes. Team sports players were less likely to experience a number of mental health concerns, including social problems, anxiety, attention problems, and depression. Additionally, young girls who played sports were 20% less likely to engage in rule-breaking behaviors when compared to those who didn’t play sports. 

The researchers were surprised to learn that kids who played individual sports didn’t experience similar mental health benefits. In fact, kids who were involved in individual sports like gymnastics, golf, or tennis had a higher risk of mental health struggles. These kids were 16% more likely to have anxiety or depression and 14% more likely to be more withdrawn. 

Moving forward, the team plans to do more research in this area to better understand why individual sports negatively affect kids’ mental health.

A new study conducted by researchers from Children’s National Hospital explored how women’s mental health during pregnancy may impact their children’s development. According to their findings, women who struggle with anxiety, depression, or high levels of stress during pregnancy may be more likely to have toddlers who struggle with cognitive development. 

“By identifying the pregnant women with elevated levels of psychological distress, clinicians could recognize those babies who are at risk for later neurodevelopmental impairment and might benefit from early, targeted interventions,” said researcher Catherine Limperopoulous, Ph.D. 

How mental health impacts children’s cognition

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from healthy mothers and infants involved in a cohort study from January 2016, to October 2020, at Children’s National Hospital. The mothers completed questionnaires that assessed their mental health during pregnancy. Their babies had MRI scans and then underwent a cognitive assessment at 18 months old. 

Ultimately, the researchers identified a link between mental health struggles during pregnancy and toddlers’ cognitive development. Mothers who had stress, anxiety, or depression while pregnant were more likely to have toddlers with poorer cognitive skills. 

The researchers observed this effect on the infants’ brain scans while they were still in the womb. They noticed that the infants struggling with cognitive development were more likely to have a smaller left hippocampus region of their brains. The team attributes this to exposure to maternal stress while in the womb. 

They explained that this is likely to have an effect on toddlers’ ability to establish relationships as they continue to grow and develop. This may hinder their social-emotional skills long-term. 

Because of how strongly stress can affect pregnant women and their babies, the researchers hope these findings continue to highlight the importance of consumers taking care of their mental health. 

“We’re looking at shifting the health care paradigm and adopting these changes more broadly to better support moms,” said Dr. Limperopoulos. “What’s clear is early interventions could help moms reduce their stress, which can positively impact their symptoms and thereby their baby long after birth.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health explored how different environments may impact how kids grow. 

According to their findings, living close to spaces with trees may be better than grassy or paved areas for children’s long-term development. 

“Our findings indicate that increased early-life residential exposure to vegetation is positively associated with early childhood developmental outcomes, and that associations may be stronger for residential exposure to tree cover relative to grass cover,” the researchers wrote. “Our results further indicate that childhood development may be negatively associated with residential exposure to paved surfaces.”  

Environment impacts development

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 27,500 children who were part of a large birth cohort study in the Vancouver area between 2000 and 2005. The study tracked the children’s development from the time they were born through kindergarten.

By the time they were five, the participants' kindergarten teachers reported on their communication skills, emotional maturity, physical health and well-being, general knowledge, and language and cognitive development. In looking at maps of where the children lived, the team was able to compare their developmental outcomes to their residential areas. 

They learned that children were more likely to have high developmental scores when they had the greatest exposure to greenery – including trees and grass. However, the best association between environment and development came when children lived the closest to tree-filled spaces.

While green spaces were found to be beneficial for kids’ development, the opposite was also found to be true. Children who lived in areas that were heavily paved were more likely to have lower developmental scores. 

“Because we assessed different types of vegetation, our findings contribute to an improved understanding of associations between exposure to green spaces and early childhood development,” said researcher Ingrid Jarvis. 

Converting paved spaces may be the answer

Moving forward, the team hopes these findings highlight the benefits associated with living close to green spaces – especially those that have a lot of trees. 

“Taken together, our findings suggest that converting paved surfaces to green spaces and, in particular, increasing the amount of trees in neighborhoods may have positive effects on early childhood health and development,” said researcher Matilda van Bosch. “Even minor individual gains in childhood could lead to important public health benefits across the life course.”