Want to be happy, slim? Wake up early

A new study has found that people who wake up early are slimmer, happier and healthier than those who get up later in the day. Researchers at the Roehampton University concluded that those who fight the urge to ignore the alarm clock complete morning chores faster, pack their children off to school earlier and thrive in the workplace. However, night owls have a higher chance of feeling depressed or stressed and becoming overweight. The researchers quizzed 1,068 adults about their health and sleeping habits and found that 'morning people' were out of bed by 6.58 am on average, while 'evening people' waited until 8.54 am to start their day. At the weekend both groups enjoyed about an extra hour under the covers, with early risers waiting until 7.47 am to get up and night owls lying in until 10.09 am. "There are morning people and evening people, and morning people tend to be healthier and happier as well as having lower body mass indices," the Telegraph quoted Dr Joerg Huber as telling a British Psychological Society conference. The survey also found that people who watch a lot of television are more likely to skip breakfast.