Campaign Vets Get Back to Reality

18 months takes a toll on weary and addicted journalists

(NEWSER) - If you think you're tired of the election, just think about the reporters who've lived it nonstop for nearly two years. CNN's Candy Crowley tells the New Republic she falls asleep between events, pines for a mundane life and trips to the supermarket, and even resorts to leaving herself notes on which time zone she's in. New York Times reporter Jeff Zeleny hasn't seen a movie in a year and is "looking forward to getting reacquainted with civilians." More»

Stress of political races can cause overeating, premature aging

(NEWSER) - Even the presidential candidates who miss out on the White House will feel the effects of their campaigns for years to come. The mad dash to the Oval Office—speeches all day, deadline pressures, cross-country tours—puts tremendous stress on the body. Forbes takes on the low points:

1. Sleep deprivation, leading to memory losses and risky decision-making.
2. Poor diets, causing that waist to grow (Clinton favors ice cream; Obama, French fries).

Scientists find sitting bulks up behinds

(NEWSER) - You've worried about clothes making you look fat—apparently, you should have worried about chairs actually making you fat. That's because sitting for long stretches can actually make you fatter, scientists have found. Studies suggest that the pressure placed in the butt and hips from sitting too long can generate extra fat in those areas. Tel Aviv University researchers studying MRIs found that preadipocyte cells—the precursors to fat cells—turn into fat cells and produce even more fat to cushion muscles against the pressure of sitting among people paralyzed by spinal injuries. They even found lines of fat cells invading muscle, reports the Telegraph . More»

Painful at first, but by the end...

(NEWSER) - On the first day of her $5,600-per-week stay at a ritzy Malibu detox ranch, Christina Binkley was awakened at 5:30am to do yoga, eat a tiny frittata, and then go on a 12-mile hike. "The scenery was gorgeous," she writes in the Wall Street Journal , but after four hours, she stopped noticing it—and so did her fellow hikers, many of whom spent the trek vomiting. Later in the week, participants "lined up like Pavlov's dogs" for the scant snack of three almonds and two cashews during another many-hour hike. By the fourth day, Binkley "couldn't stop thinking about beef." But then something changed. More»

Comedian credits 'no bread,' 'lots of cardio'

(NEWSER) - Have you seen a picture of Drew Carey lately? You might not recognize him—the once-portly comedian has dropped a striking 80 pounds from his 5-foot-10 frame and now wears size 33-34 pants. How did he do it? Most important was motivation: "It sucks being fat, you know," Bob Barker's successor as host of The Price Is Right tells People . "I was sick of being fat on the camera. I was diabetic with Type 2 diabetes. Now I'm not diabetic anymore." More»