Do the math and stay young

The top U.S. elementary school in the 2016-2017 Math League was Medina Elementary School in Medina, Washington. Congratulations, kids! These students know their numbers. Unfortunately, many high school students around the country don’t.

According to the latest results of the Program for International Student Assessment – its worldwide exam is administered every three years; in 2015, it went to 540,000 15-year-olds in 72 countries – the U.S. ranks 40th in students’ average math scores. Maybe that’s why it’s so hard to convince people that carrying around even a little extra weight damages their health: They can’t add up the info. Well, a new study in Nature Communications makes it pretty easy: Every 2.2 pounds of extra weight you carry reduces your life expectancy by two months.

For the 30 per cent of U.S. adults who are obese (say, 50 pounds overweight), the lost months can add up to eight years or more! But, there’s hope. The researchers also say losing 2.2 pounds adds two months to your life. And losing a pound a week can undo the 50-pounds-overweight life deficit in a year!

Get there by walking 10,000 steps daily and doing two to three 30-minute, strengthbuilding sessions weekly.

Eat nine servings of veggies and fruit daily; skip red and processed meats, refined grains and highly processed foods. Get seven to eight hours of sleep nightly (sleep influences weight management). Another boost: You can add a year to your life for each year you spend studying something after your last year of formal education (high school or college).