ScienceDaily: Living Well News

Would you take dieting advice from a friend? Posted: 13 Feb 2015 01:50 PM PST Is a new diet or exercise program working for a friend? If so, there's a good chance that you will try it, too. A person who finds success in a wellness program is more influential in getting friends to sign up than a charismatic, but less successful pal, according to a new study.

Marijuana use is associated with excessive daytime sleepiness in adolescents Posted: 13 Feb 2015 01:47 PM PST A new study found 10 percent of adolescents sent to a Sleep Center for evaluation of excessive daytime sleepiness with testing results consistent with narcolepsy had urine drug screens positive for marijuana.

Winter weather depriving city dwellers of vitamin D Posted: 13 Feb 2015 01:47 PM PST Residents of snowy, northern U.S. cities are at risk of vitamin D deficiency and worse, may not even know it. During Buffalo's winter months, nearly 50 percent of people have insufficient amounts of vitamin D and 25 percent may be considered deficient.

Neural basis of 'being in the mood': Researchers discover neurons that combine social information with hormonal state in female mice Posted: 12 Feb 2015 10:16 AM PST What determines receptivity or rejection towards potential sexual partners? In a recent study of female mice, researchers recorded the activity of neurons in an area within the hypothalamus dedicated to socio-sexual behavior. The activity of the neurons was observed while the females interacted with males or with other females.

Plant-based diet may reduce obese children's risk of heart disease Posted: 12 Feb 2015 03:52 AM PST Obese children who begin a low-fat, plant-based vegan diet may lower their risk of heart disease through improvements in their weight, blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol levels, insulin sensitivity, and high-sensitivity C-reactive, according to new research.