Morning light, brighter health

Wake up! But only if you want to keep your weight down. A just-published study by the Northwestern University School of Medicine reports that people whose daily sunlight exposure came mostly in the morning “had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI)” than those whose daily exposure came later in the day. Even though early risers might be up in order to exercise, the study’s results are “independent of an individual’s physical activity level, caloric intake, sleep timing, age or season.” The health benefits are believed to be tied to the qualities of bright, morning sunlight (between 8 a.m. and noon) being beneficial to the circadian rhythm, or the body’s internal clock.