Few people know that sleeping habits around the world are as unique as fingerprints. Every race, ethnic group and nationality practice different sleep habits and have differing opinions about chronic sleepyheads.
For example, in Kenya no one would be bothered if you rested your head and slept even in the middle of the day, in the midst of activity (this is true for certain nomadic tribes, not city dwellers). In Spain, people normally sneak away for a short nap if they’re feeling drowsy from an afternoon meal. This applies to certain parts of Southeast Asia as well.
In the United States, it appears that sleep is limited to nighttime, when all the work is finally done. Sometimes, the cycle is reversed for night workers. How about you, how do you sleep?
Back in the seventies and eighties, obesity was just the result of overeating. If you’re obese, you’re a couch potato and people often resented you for not having enough sense to eat right. Modern medical science is now debunking these offensive ‘truths’ in favor of kinder findings.
For one, we now know that obesity can be the result of genetic predisposition. That means your body is generating the bulk because your genes are telling your body to do so. A case in point would be the Tongans, whose hefty monarch weighs in at 400 pounds.
Another potentially disturbing but enlightening piece of news would be that obesity could be caused by viruses. Think about it. Something as structurally primitive as viruses could make you look and feel fat. So the next time someone drops an unkind word about your weight, feel free to tell the person: “You know nothing about obesity.”