March 14, 2012

Science Daily/American Heart Association

If you don't get enough sleep, you may also eat too much -- and thus be more likely to become obese. That is the findings of researchers who presented their study at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2012 Scientific Sessions.

Participants ate as much as they wanted during the study.

Researchers found:

• ·      The sleep deprived group, who slept one hour and 20 minutes less than the control group each day consumed an average 549 additional calories each day.

• ·      The amount of energy used for activity didn't significantly change between groups, suggesting that those who slept less didn't burn additional calories.

• ·      Lack of sleep was associated with increased leptin levels and decreasing ghrelin -- changes that were more likely a consequence, rather than a cause, of over-eating.

"Sleep deprivation is a growing problem, with 28 percent of adults now reporting that they get six or fewer hours of sleep per night," said Andrew D. Calvin, M.D., M.P.H., co-investigator, cardiology fellow and assistant professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic.

The researchers noted that while this study suggests sleep deprivation may be an important part and one preventable cause of weight gain and obesity, it was a small study conducted in a hospital's clinical research unit.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120314170456.htm