DON’T DISTRACT LOVED ONES The National Safety Council released survey results showing that 82% of Americans drive distracted due to their loved ones. The finding not only sheds light on why Americans continue to drive distracted, but also underscores their ongoing struggle to accurately assess risk. Two-thirds of drivers felt unsafe because of another driver's distraction, but far fewer – just 25 percent – recognized that their own distractions have put themselves or others at risk.

PEOPLE WHO SLEEP SIX HOURS OR LESS Are four times more likely to catch a cold than those who snooze for more than seven hours, according to researchers. Poor sleep has long been linked to chronic illness and even or death. The new study provides the first evidence connecting less sleep and the risk of infectious sickness, researchers said in the September issue of the Journal Science.

THE SO CALLED “BEES” TALK Needs to happen much earlier than most parents think, studies say. Alcohol is the substance most frequently used by children and adolescents in the United States, and its use in youth is associated with the leading causes of death and serious injury at this age. Dr. Lorena Sequeira wrote in the Journal Pediatrics.

ONE MORE REASON TO WATCH THE WAISTLINE New research says people’s weight in middle age may influence whether they go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Being overweight or obese at age 50 may come back to haunt a person years later, when Alzheimer’s strikes, the National Institutes of Health reported.

WANT A BIG FAMILY? Women who want to have families need to get busy a whole lot sooner than they may expect: For the best chance of having a three-child family, a woman should get pregnant by age 23, UK scientists told the Sunday Times of London. “Everyone thinks you can wait,” said Allan Pacey, a University Professor
at Sheffield.