Link between sleep lack and weight gain in kids
[Posted: Tue 06/11/2007 by Olivia Fens]
Insufficient sleep can slow metabolism and affect exercise and eating habits in children, according to new research.
Scientists from the University of Michigan’s Centre for Human Growth and Development in Children found that children aged nine to 12 who slept less than nine hours a night were more likely to gain weight.
Besides not wanting to go out and play, lead researchers Julie Lumeng said that the study also found that sleep effected the secretion of hormones that regulate fat storage, appetite and glucose metabolism.
Not enough sleep can change carbohydrate metabolism and cause impaired glucose tolerance, which can affect weight, she added.
The US National Sleep Foundation recommends that children get 10 to 12 hours of sleep a night.
The findings were based on sleep patterns of 785 children aged between nine and 12.
The impact of sleeping was consistent regardless of gender, race, socioeconomic status or quality of the home environment.
Dr Lumeng’s report was published in the November issue of
Pediatrics.
Anonymous
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07/11/2007 10:57 |
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And it's not just kids. As we become time poor, the first thing we cut is sleep. The more we do this the more overweight and obese adults you see.
There is a definite connection between lack of sleep and the induced fatigue and the cortisol reaction in regulating leptin and ghrelin (the hunger hormone) levels.
Bear in mind now that most children are up earlier than the previous generation to be dropped off early at childminders or creches too.
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Lemmy Posted:
07/11/2007 11:27 |
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I would have thought this is a no-brainer, lack of sleep will leave you feeling tired, feeling tired will mean you won't move much, not moving means not exercising and possibly be bored which could lead to eating out of boredom (I'm sure most of us have done that at some stage!) if your calorie intake is greater than the amount you burn off in exercise you'll be putting on the pounds in no time!
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Anonymous
Posted:
07/11/2007 13:02 |
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It's naive to think just that lack of sleep will leave you feeling tired, feeling tired will mean you won't move much, not moving means not exercising and "possibly being bored which could lead to eating out of boredom".
The connection is far more definite and the lack of sleep disrupts the hormone imbalance and it's not just that tiredness means moving less, frequently in order to try to pep themsleves up, the over indulge on high glycemic carbs
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Lemmy Posted:
08/11/2007 11:52 |
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I'm not suggesting that feeling tired is the only effect of lack of sleep but it's a pretty obvious side effect and possibly the first one to manifest
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