Scientists have linked the risk of weight gain with short sleep
Reducing daily sleep by about 80 minutes for six weeks leads to an increase in body weight and a decrease in physical activity. This was reported by Medical Xpress magazine on July 6.
The experiment involved 95 adult volunteers who usually sleep from seven to eight hours. Participants were asked to reduce their rest time by 1.5 hours for six weeks. During this period, the subjects gained an average of 1 pound (about 0.45 kg) in weight. Scientists also recorded an increase in indicators of a sedentary lifestyle: the time of inactivity increased by an average of 17 minutes per day, and in men and women during post—men's period - by almost 30 minutes.
Marie-Pierre Saint-Onge, Professor of Nutrition at Columbia University and head of the study
Our study shows that getting enough sleep can help reduce the risk of weight gain and the development of related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. As a person gets older, they tend to gain weight, and obesity becomes a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. However, focusing on a healthier diet and increasing physical activity to compensate is a simplistic approach that is difficult to maintain over time.
According to the authors, most previous studies have focused on extreme sleep deprivation of up to four hours a day. The current experiment simulated chronic mild sleep deprivation typical for 30% of the adult population. According to study co-author Faris Zuraikat, if we extrapolate these data for a whole year, then a reduction in sleep of less than 1.5 hours per night can lead to clinically significant weight gain.
Previously, the Saint-Onge team found that women with cardiovascular risks with a similar lack of sleep increase insulin resistance, which is a factor in the development of type 2 diabetes. In patients with a predisposition to heart disease, an increase in the number of inflammatory cells in the heart tissue was also recorded.
On July 2, Julia Kamoeva, a psychologist on eating behavior, spoke about the reasons for the inability to lose weight. According to her, the first reason is that food is becoming the only available way to regulate emotions. She stressed that in the absence of other tools to cope with anxiety, irritation, boredom or loneliness, people often go to the refrigerator. Among other reasons, Kamoeva also mentioned chronic lack of sleep and its hormonal consequences, an unconscious prohibition on one's own body, as well as perfectionism.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
