Have you been struggling with your weight for a while now? Are you tired of trying one new diet after the other with no success? Do you wish you had more will power when it came to saying no to certain foods? Well, according to a number of new studies, there may be a simple solution to your problems - sleep! While this is not the first time we are hearing about the connection between sleep deprivation and obesity, the latest research may now help explain how and why this happens.
In a study conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic, a group of 17 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 40 years were monitored for a week. The volunteers recorded their sleeping and eating habits before they were brought into the research lab for another eight days. During the time spent at the lab, half the volunteers were allowed to sleep according to their regular sleep patterns, while the rest of the group were only allowed two-thirds of their usual time asleep. While the sleep periods were manipulated, all volunteers were allowed to eat whatever they wanted. The amount of energy expended by each participant was also measured. It was discovered that the group that had been deprived of sleep ate 500 calories more than usual but with no increase in the amount of energy spent. This put paid to the theory that the less we sleep; the more we work and burn energy. According to the study, the excess calories consumed the longer we are awake simply translates into weight gain and other related health problems over time.
Another similar study noted that people who sleep less have a tendency to eat foods that are higher in fat and protein. There was also an interesting observation about how men and women respond differently to sleep deprivation and calorie consumption. When women slept for only four hours (as compared to the recommended nine hours), they consumed on an average an excess of over 300 calories the next day. Sleep deprived men on the other hand consumed approximately 200 calories more than normal. There are a number of reasons why people eat more when they are sleep deprived. The obvious conclusion is that less sleep can impair judgment. You are less likely to say no to snack foods or junk foods when you are not thinking straight. Another theory states that the longer you are awake, the more hours you have to eat. Who among us has not raided the fridge when we are up late at night? After a night of less sleep; you may also look for quick fixes of foods to keep you alert and awake. Reaching out for that chocolate bar or energy drink will only increase your overall consumption of sugar and calories and add to your weight problem. A recent study conducted by the New York Obesity Research Center examined the brain scans of people who slept for nine hours and those who got only four hours of sleep over a period of time. It was seen that different regions of the brain are activated when presented with unhealthy foods after a period of sleep deprivation. This suggests that people who regularly get less hours of sleep have a greater tendency to succumb to the temptation of junk food than those who get a full night's rest.
This connection between sleep deprivation and obesity is important, what with the increasing numbers of overweight people in the country and the corresponding increase in obesity-related health problems. Further research into the sleeping and eating habits of people may give us useful insights on how to tackle these problems.
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