2 . Processed foods like chips, sodas and frozen pizzas are full of salt, sugar, and fat. Now, scientists are trying to understand if there is something else about such foods that may be bad for humans.

Scientists have already linked low-cost, packaged foods to rising obesity rates around the world. Obesity increases the risk of many health problems. Three recent studies offer more clues on how our increasingly industrialized food supply may be affecting our health.

The researchers created a system that places foods into four groups. The system says highly processed foods are made mostly of industrialized materials and additives(添加剂). Sodas, packaged cookies, instant noodles and chicken nuggets(鸡肉块) are some examples of highly processed foods. But also included are products that can seem healthy, such as morning cereals, energy bars and some kinds of yogurt.

Researchers conducted a four-week study involving 20 people. They found that people ate about 500 more calories a day when fed mostly processed foods. That is compared to when the same people were given less processed foods. The researchers permitted the 20 participants to eat as much or as little as they wanted. They were taken to a medical center so their health and behavior could be observed. In another study, researchers in France found people who ate more processed foods were more likely to have heart disease. A similar study in Spain linked eating more processed foods to a higher risk of death in general.

When fed less processed foods, people in the study produced more of a hormone that controls hunger, and less of a hormone that causes hunger. The reason for the reaction is not clear. The scientists also found that people ate processed foods more quickly. Kevin Hall is one of the researchers who led the study. He said that processed foods were usually softer and easier to chew and swallow”. Hall noted the source of nutrients might make a difference. For example, fiber from fruit and vegetables may be better for making people feel full than fiber added to packaged foods such as energy bars and yogurt.

Avoiding processed foods can be hard, especially for people with limited time and money. Processed foods can also take many forms. In addition, companies continually re-engineer products to make them seem healthier. The newest studies may provide more reasons to avoid processed foods. But, they also call attention to the difficulty of coming up with ways to do that.

6 . Have you ever wanted to stop eating something sweet but you just couldn’t? Is it the first thing you do when you get home from school to look in the biscuit tin? Can you eat a huge bar of chocolate all by yourself? Can you say “no” to sweets at parties? If you can’t, then there is a reason … perhaps you are a sugar addict! Does that sound funny? Well, doctors say that people who eat sweets regularly can easily become addicted to sugar. What’s more, most sugar addicts don’t even realize that they are addicted! Sugar addiction is serious because it can really damage your health. Doctors say that we should eat food which is healthy such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and that we shouldn’t eat a lot of sugar, fat or fast food. But sugar addicts can’t follow this advice. They know they must stop eating sweet food, but they can’t.

So what can you do if you think you are addicted to the taste of sugar? Well, here is some advice:

Eat some fresh fruits when you really want something sweet to eat.

Cut down some sweet food slowly.

Don’t try to stop eating it at once.

You have to tell your parents. If they know, they will help you.

7 . This time of year many of us are determined to get back into shape. But if you are having trouble fitting into your tight jeans, it may not be your fault. Scientists now believe that willpower alone is not enough to lose weight. They say success depends on your genes, hormones (荷尔蒙) and psychology.

A study of 75 people by BBC Science and Oxford and Cambridge Universities has looked into why one-size-fits-all diets are often not successful. The scientists divided over-eaters into three groups—people who feast, people who constantly crave food and emotional eaters. They tailored (定制) diets to the needs of each group.

Feasters can’t stop eating once they start. This is because they don’t have the hormones that tell them when they are full. Scientists designed a diet for this group paying special attention to high protein foods that make them feel full for a long time. This included fish, chicken, basmati rice and grains. Bread and potatoes were not allowed because they do not fill you up for long.

Constant cravers always feel hungry. Scientists say that certain genes stop the messages the stomach sends to the brain saying it is full, meaning the cravers always feel like they need more fatty, sugary food. Dieting seven days a week is very hard for these people, so scientists put them on a normal, healthy diet five days a week, and eating whenever they feel stressed. To help them change this behaviour, scientists offered them group support in meetings and online as well as a diet.

During the study, people from all three groups lost weight on the tailored diets, with feasters losing the most and constant cravers losing the least.

Shawn Stevenson says that the best time to go to bed is 10 p.m. We should then wake up at 6 a.m. He is    1    expert studying human sleeping patterns.

He believes 10 p.m. is the best bedtime because this is when the sun     2     (set), and 6 a.m. is the perfect time to wake up because this is    3    the sun rises. The closer     4    (we) sleeping pattern is to the movement of the sun, he says, the    5     (much) energy we will have during the day.

He also says that looking at electronics like computers and phones before    6     (go) to bed makes sleeping difficult. The blue light from these electronics is the worst.    7     you need to look at an electronic device before sleep, he says, you should change the setting so that there is less blue light.

He also says you should avoid caffeine (咖啡因), sugar and dairy    8    ( product) such as milk or cheese    9    the evening. This will make it easier for you    10    ( sleep).

9 . Teenagers who spend hours in front of the television may have a poorer diet as young adults.

A study, which included nearly 1,400 high school students, found those who watched TV for five hours or more per day had less healthy diets than peers(同龄人) five years later. Why does this happen? Should the parents take any measures?

On the one hand, people who spend a lot of time in front of the TV, especially teenagers, may snack more, and that may affect their long-term diet quality.

On the other hand, TV ads for fast food, sweets and snacks tempt teenagers to eat more of those foods. And TV time might also replace exercise time for some kids.

Lead researcher Dr. Daheia of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, told Reuters Health a clear correlation(关联) between TV time during high school and diet quality in young adulthood. While the heaviest TV viewers were eating the most junk food, those who’d watched less than two hours per day had the highest intake(吸收) of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and high-calcium food. In her opinion, parents should limit and monitor TV viewing.

As far as I am concerned, children should watch no more than two hours of television per day. And parents should set a good example by eating right, being physically active and curbing their own TV time.

10 . Organic food,grown without artificial chemicals,is increasingly popular nowadays.Consumers（消费者）have been willing to pay up to twice as much for organic goods.However,a study led by researchers at Stanford University says that organic products aren't necessarily more nutritious（有营养的）,and they're no less likely to suffer from disease-causing bacteria,either.

The latest results suggest that buyers may be wasting their money,"We did not find strong evidence that organic food is more nutritious or healthier,"says Dr.Crystal Smith-Spangler from Stanford.

For their new study,Smith-Spangler and her colleagues did a review of two kinds of research,including 17 studies that compared health results between consumers of organic against traditional food products,and 223 studies that analyzed the nutritional content of the foods,including key vitamins,minerals and fats.

While the researchers found little difference in nutritional content,they did find that organic fruit and vegetables were 20% less likely to have chemicals remaining on the surfaces.Neither organic nor traditional foods showed levels of chemicals high enough to go beyond food safety standards.And both organic and traditional meats,such as chicken and pork,were equally likely to be harmed by bacteria at very low rates.The researchers did find that organic milk and chicken contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids,a healthy fat also found in fish that can reduce the risk of heart disease.However,these nutritional differences were very small.

Organic food is produced with fewer chemicals and more natural-growing practices,but that doesn't always translate into a more nutritious or healthier product.Experts state that whether you buy organic or not,finding the freshest foods available may have the biggest effect on taste.