Dangerous Chemicals In Plastic Bottles, Snoring & Can Everyone Do A Split?

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7:00am Segment Info:
There's more concern this morning about the dangers of a chemical found in plastic called Bisphenol A.

It's one of the most widely used plastics today. It's used to make baby bottles and other plastic containers that don't shatter. It also lines cans. Now the government is raising safety questions. They say Bisphenol A may be linked to a range of hormonal problems, precancerous tumors, urinary tract problems and early puberty in mice.

VIDEO & MORE INFO AFTER THE JUMP...

How serious is this problem, and what should parents do if they're concerned?

This is an animal study and the researchers are calling this "limited evidence". Still, more than 90% of Americans are exposed to trace amounts of Bisphenol A so these findings can't be ignored. At this point experts say more studies are needed. But if you're concerned for your baby, you have two options. You can buy plastic bottles that are Bisphenol A free or you can use glass bottles. But BPA is in so many plastics, virtually all of us have it in our bodies.

In other news, there may be a solution to snoring?

That's right. Stay in bed!

A new study finds men were more likely to use a breathing device to treat obstructive sleep apnea when they slept in the same bed as their wives. When couples slept together in the same bed the men used the breathing device four hours or more 74% of the time with fewer wakeups. When they didn't. That number dropped to 43%.

How big of a problem is snoring?

According to a 2005 poll by the national sleep foundation... 67% of respondents said their significant other snores. And more than half said the snoring disturbs the partner's sleep. This can be so bad that about a third of people surveyed said they leave the room or wear earplugs.

8:00am Ask Dr. Steve Segment Info:

1. Silla from Brooklyn, NYC asks: Why can certain people do splits? And is everyone capable of doing one?

Silla, barring any skeletal abnormality anyone can do a split. It just takes time and practice. If you've ever done any stretching you'll probably notice that when you first start a movement you can't move very far at all, but by the end of the session your range of motion increases significantly. The same is true for a split. Just go slowly, you don't want to injure yourself.

2. John from Manhattan, NYC asks: Do people burn more calories by running or walking?

John the amount of calories you burn depends on the intensity of the activity. It also can vary depending on your weight. Based on 20 minutes of activity the average 150 pound person will burn 306 calories running at 8 miles an hour, whereas walking briskly will burn 100 calories an hour. There's no doubt that running is a great activity but if you're worries about all the pounding try swimming that burns 240 calories and really gives you a total body workout.

3. Constantine from Brooklyn, NYC asks: I have a question, what is the cause of an ear infection?

Ear infections are caused by a virus. The middle ear becomes inflamed from the infection, and fluid builds up behind the eardrum. When you're little you're prone to ear infections because the Eustachian tubes which connect your ears to your nose are shorter narrower and flatter allowing fluid to collect more easily. That's why children are more prone to ear infections than adults.