Night Owls More At Risk for Weight Gain
By Shira Scott, GalTime.com
What does the clock have to do with that scale you hate to hop on each week? Seems that the later you stay up at night, the higher your odds of gaining weight.
Researchers at Northwestern University examined the habits of 51 people, all about 30 years old. 23 typically climbed into bed at 3:45am and woke up by 10:45am. The rest hit the hay by 12:30am and were up by 8am.
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Those who burned the midnight oil consumed an average 248 more calories each day...mostly at dinner or later in the evening. Their diets also included twice as much fast food, more non-diet sodas and half as many fruits and vegetables as people in the early-to-bed group.
"The extra daily calories can mean a significant amount of weight gain -- two pounds per month -- if they are not balanced by more physical activity," the study's co-lead author, Kelly Glazer Baron, of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
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Why do night owls make unhealthy food choices? The reason could be that healthier foods aren't as available or that staying up late interrupts normal eating patterns.
"When sleep and eating are not aligned with the body's internal clock, it can lead to changes in appetite and metabolism, which could lead to weight gain," said study author Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Research Program Feinberg.
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