Self-Control: The Key to Health and Wealth

From an article in Time Magazine, February 2011

Every kid throws temper tantrums and behaves

impulsively once in a while. But new research suggests
that a lack of self-control during youth may predict
health problems, less financial stability and a criminal
record by adulthood.
In a survey of more than 1,000 children who were
studied from birth to age 32, scientists found that kids
who scored lowest on measures of self-control – those
who were more impulsive and easily frustrated and had
the most trouble with delaying gratification or waiting
their turn in line – were roughly three times as likely by
adulthood to report having multiple health problems
and addictions, earning less than $20,000 a year,
becoming a single parent or committing a crime than
kids with the most self-control.
The good news is that self-control can be learned.
Children in the study who improved self-control on
their own as they grew older reported fewer health and
criminal behavior problems than those who remained
impulsive. So school and family interventions that teach
kids to self-regulate early on may led to healthier and
more stable adults.
Sleep
Kids aren’t known for having the healthiest
sleeping habits, and the latest study suggests their
irregular slumber plays a role in obesity risk. In a trial
of more than 300 young children, none of whom slept
the recommended nine to 10 hours a night, the briefest
and most irregular sleepers were up to four times as
likely to be obese as kids who slept better. Letting kids
catch up on sleep n the weekend, however, cut their risk
of obesity.