KSFY Health Watch For March 3rd, 2008

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A new study finfs one-third of Americans have trouble staying awake on the job.

A new study finfs one-third of Americans have trouble staying awake on the job.

By Brian Allen

In Monday's Health Watch headlines:

Drug maker "Merck & Company" says more than 44-thousand people have signed up for a settlement over the painkiller Vioxx.

Merck says the 4-point-85 billion dollar settlement is on track to move forward.

Lawyers for Merck and thousands of people who blamed Vioxx for heart attacks or strokes announced the settlement last November during a court hearing in New Orleans.

A new survey suggests American workers aren't getting enough sleep.

The survey released by the National Sleep Foundation finds people average a little more than six and a-half hours a night on weekdays.

About a third say they've become very sleepy or fallen asleep at work.

The study shows the average wakeup time is 5:35 in the morning.

Average bedtime is 10:53 PM.

A lot of teenagers skip breakfast in the morning but a new study says doing so could be a huge mistake.

Studies show that between 12 and 34 per cent of children don't eat breakfast every day - with teenagers being the most likely to skip the morning meal.

But new research from the University of Minnesota reveals that breakfast is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.

Doctors followed more than 2,200 adolescents for 5 years, asking them about their eating habits at the beginning and end of the study.

Results showed teenagers who regularly ate breakfast actually consumed fewer daily calories and ate less fat than those who skipped breakfast.

They also tended to practice other healthy behaviors, such as getting more exercise and not smoking or drinking alcohol.

As a result of all these healthy choices, breakfast-eating teens gained less weight over the course of the study.

Researchers say that skipping breakfast is never a good weight-loss strategy - instead, teenagers who want to look fit should eat regular,

Balanced meals and get at least 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity each day.

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