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Sleep well and lose weight

3 min read

A recent six-year study from Laval University in Quebec City disclosed that a good night’s sleep of seven to eight hours may be a key factor in staying slim and that any deviations from this ideal could cause weight gain.

Of 276 adults who participated in this study, 31 percent experienced a weight gain of at least 11 pounds during the follow-up period.

Short-duration (5-6 hours) and long-duration (9-10 hours) sleepers were 35 percent and 25 percent more likely, respectively, to have an 11-pound weight gain compared with those who slept seven to eight hours.

“This study shows that both shorter and longer sleep duration times can predict higher body weight and fat gain in adults, independent of baseline weight or other covariates,” study investigator Jean-Phillipe Chaput said at the 16th European Congress on Obesity. “Furthermore, these results emphasize the need to add sleep duration to the list of determinants that contribute to weight gain and obesity.”

The investigators evaluated the relationship between sleep duration and subsequent body weight and fat gain in study participants who were aged 21-64 years old. Changes in adiposity indices, including body mass index, waist circumference, percent body fat and fat mass were compared.

The risk of developing obesity was elevated for short- and long- duration sleepers -compared with average-duration sleepers- with a 27-percent and 21-percent increase in risk, respectively. The data was adjusted for covariates including resting metabolic rate, level of physical activity and smoking habits.

Compared with those in the normal-duration sleep group, both short and long sleepers experienced greater increases in waist circumference (58 percent and 47 percent, respectively) and greater weight gain (4 and 3.3 pounds, respectively).

According to Mr. Chaput, the most plausible explanation for the sleep and body weight association is an alteration of hormones such as leptin and ghrelin. These are hormones that help regulate the body’s use and storage of fat. He said that short sleepers are characterized by low leptin levels and high gherlin levels.

In an earlier study, the researchers previously investigated the effect of sleep duration on weight in children, finding that short-sleep duration increases the risk of overweight and obesity in this population as well. This correlates with the knowledge that significantly overweight children frequently have obesity problems in adulthood.

Excess weight leads to other medical problems:

n the number one cause of adult diabetes is obesity.

n excess weight often leads to knee pain, hip pain and lower back pain.

Over the years, the joints may wear out prematurely and require treatment. This treatment often includes medications, injection and other joint replacements.

n certainly, obesity significantly contributes to high-blood pressure, skin problems, leg swelling, heart enlargement, high cholesterol and heart attacks.

Maintaining an optimal weight is clearly important for health reasons as well as your feelings about yourself.

Sleeping well assists in achieving and maintaining the best weight and the best health.

Steven F. Scholle, M.D., Ph.D. practices Family Medicine, Dermatology and in addition has the Medi WeightLoss program in his office. The office is in the Key Estero Center at 1661 Estero Blvd., Suite #1, on Fort Myers Beach. For more information, please call 239-765-0007.