Making food choices as you age

Obesity is a new concern for the generation moving through middle age and beyond. Government figures show that Americans in their 60s today are about 10 pounds heavier than their counterparts just a decade ago, U. S. News contributor Meryl Davids Landau writes.

If you’re entering that danger zone now, be aware that it’s not going to get any easier to lose weight, because people need fewer calories as they age. Blame slowing metabolism and the body’s tendency starting in midlife to lose muscle mass—a process known as sarcopenia—and gain fat.

But paying attention to what you eat isn’t only about controlling weight; the need for some vitamins and minerals increases with age. One is calcium, necessary to protect bones. Another is B12, since some older adults make less of the stomach acid required to absorb the vitamin. More vitaminDalso is required.

Sleep woes tied to headaches

Children’s sleep problems are a huge headache for families. Now it looks as if the sleep problems themselves could be linked to headaches, U. S. News contributor Nancy Shute reports.

Children who have trouble falling asleep or who wake up often at night are much more likely to have headaches or to regurgitate food, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Headaches were twice as likely to occur in children with sleep problems; 24 percent of those kids reported pain, compared with 13 percent of children without disturbed sleep. And 19 percent of children with insomnia had problems with regurgitation, compared with 7.5 percent of children without sleep problems.

The good news is, treating the medical condition that causes the headaches or stomach problems may well improve children’s sleep.

Signs of stroke risk

A new study suggests taking antidepressants may put older women at greater risk of stroke, HealthDay reports. Researchers looked at data from 5,500 postmenopausal women taking antidepressants. When they compared the group with more than 130,000 women not on medication, they found antidepressant users had a 45 percent greater chance of stroke, according to HealthDay. The study’s lead researcher, however, stressed that the increased risk, though statistically significant, may not apply to most women.

In 2009, U. S. News’ Sarah Baldauf wrote about the risk factors that may increase your chances of having either an ischemic stroke, caused by a blood clot and the most common form of stroke, or the less prevalent hemorrhagic stroke, caused by bleeding in the brain.

Having high blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine is one risk factor. Too much homocysteine is associated with cardiovascular troubles, including stroke. Genetics and diet each play a role in generating the amino acid. For example, having high levels of dietary nutrients folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 is associated with lower levels of homocysteine in the blood.