Can lack of sleep make you fat? A new paper
which reviews the evidence from sleep restriction studies reveals that
inadequate sleep is linked to obesity. The research, published in a special
issue of the The American Journal of Human Biology, explores how lack of sleep
can impact appetite regulation, impair glucose metabolism and increase blood
pressure.
"Obesity
develops when energy intake is greater than expenditure. Diet and physical
activity play an important part in this, but an additional factor may be
inadequate sleep," said Dr Kristen Knutson, from the University of
Chicago. "A review of the evidence shows how short or poor quality sleep
is linked to increased risk of obesity by de-regulating appetite, leading to
increased energy
consumption."
Dr
Knutson accumulated evidence from experimental and observational studies of
sleep. Observational
studies revealed cross-sectional associations between getting fewer
than six hours sleep and increased body mass index(BMI)
or obesity.
The
studies revealed how signals from the brain which control appetite regulation
are impacted by experimental sleep restriction. Inadequate sleep impacts
secretion of the signal hormones ghrelin, which increases
appetite, and leptin, which indicates when the body is satiated. This can lead
to increased food intake without the compensating energy expenditure.
"In
the United States 18% of adults are estimated to get less than 6 hours of
sleep, which equates to 53 million short sleepers who may be at risk of
associated obesity," said Knutson. "Poor sleeping patterns are not
random and it is important to consider the social, cultural and environmental
factors which can cause inadequate sleep so at-risk groups can be
identified."
The
evidence suggests the association between inadequate sleep and higher BMI is
stronger in children and adolescents. It also shows that sleep deficiency in
lower socioeconomic
groups may result in greater associated obesity risks.
The
majority of the studies Dr Knutson examined came from Western countries, which
highlights the need for more research to understand sleep's role in disease
risk. However other research papers in the special issue focus on obesity in
the United Arab Emirates, Samoa, and Brazil.
"These
findings show that sleeping poorly can increase a person's risk of developing
obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease," concluded
Knutson. "Future research should determine whether efforts to improve
sleep can also help prevent the development of these diseases or improve the
lives of patients with these conditions."
More
information: Kristen L. Knutson, “Does inadequate sleep play a
role in vulnerability to obesity?” American Journal of Human Biology,
January 2012,DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22219
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