Lawsuit threat looms on sugary cereals

A consumer group wants to keep Tony the Tiger from promoting sugary cereals on the SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon show or anywhere else kids are watching, reports Reuters. The Center for Science in the Public Interest in the US said it would sue Kellogg, the maker of cereals such as Frosted Flakes, and Viacom, which runs the Nickelodeon cable network, if the companies do not change some marketing practices aimed at children. The Center said letters had been sent to Kellogg and Viacom saying it would settle for a commitment from them within 30 days rather than sue. But, the Center added, if its demands were not met, a lawsuit would be filed, asking a Massachusetts court to stop the companies from marketing junk foods in venues where 15 per cent or more of the audience is under age eight.

Thyroid disorders ruin sex life

Thyroid disorders are associated with a variety of sexual symptoms in men, say researchers at the University of L’Aquila, Italy. They looked into the prevalence of sexual difficulties in 48 adult male patients with either underactive or overactive thyroid conditions. The survey revealed that in 34 men with overactive thyroid, 18 per cent had below-normal sexual desire, three per cent had delayed ejaculation, 50 per cent had premature ejaculation, and 15 per cent had erectile dysfunction. Among the 14 men with underactive thyroid, 64 per cent had low sexual desire, delayed ejaculation, or erectile dysfunction, while 7 per cent suffered from premature ejaculation.

Kids’ height key to smartness

Children who are short for their age may perform more poorly on tests of intelligence than their taller peers, a study suggests. The findings, say researchers, imply that some environmental factors may negatively affect both early childhood height and mental development. What those factors are is uncertain, but a stressful home life is one possibility, according to the researchers at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, the study’s lead author. The research suggests that long-term stress can affect the body’s production of growth hormone ? and, therefore, a child’s height. According to the researchers, stress can influence the development of brain regions involved in memory and learning.

Funny movie helps heart

Sitting through a funny movie seems to be as good for your heart as running through the park, a study suggests. In an experiment with 20 healthy young adults, researchers found that participants’ blood flow improved when they watched a movie that made them laugh. The circulation boost was similar to what’s seen with aerobic exercises, says a report in the journal Heart.