#Staff Column
2022.09.08
Does sleep deprivation result in obesity?
Columnist | Introducing the columns written by member of Amorepacific Group
Eating Well to Live Well, a Wellness Column Part 3. Does sleep deprivation result in obesity?
Columnist | Park Jeongwon
Amorepacific Healthcare Contents Team
Amorepacific Healthcare Contents Team
#INTRO
Lack of sleep is highly correlated with obesity. One might think the opposite since anyone who sleeps less spends more time being awake and active. Surprisingly, it has been scientifically proven that having an insufficient amount of sleep may lead to a higher risk of obesity! If you want to eat as much as you want and still want to stay average weight, or if you don’t want to gain back the weight you lost on your last diet, sleep should come before anything else.
#Eating more than you planned? Don’t blame it on the lack of willpower; blame it on the lack of sleep!
Our fat and carbohydrate intakes increase as the hours of sleep decreases. This is because there is a high correlation between appetite hormones and sleep.
Reduced hours of sleep leads to a decreased level of leptin, a hormone associated with satiety, and an increased level of ghrelin, a hormone associated with appetite, resulting in more food cravings.
In particular, glucose metabolism works differently when we are sleeping versus when we are awake. Because our brain and muscles consume less glucose when we are asleep, there is little change in blood sugar. When we are awake, however, they require glucose to function, leading naturally to an increase in appetite.
Lack of sleep is highly correlated with obesity. One might think the opposite since anyone who sleeps less spends more time being awake and active. Surprisingly, it has been scientifically proven that having an insufficient amount of sleep may lead to a higher risk of obesity! If you want to eat as much as you want and still want to stay average weight, or if you don’t want to gain back the weight you lost on your last diet, sleep should come before anything else.
#Eating more than you planned? Don’t blame it on the lack of willpower; blame it on the lack of sleep!
Our fat and carbohydrate intakes increase as the hours of sleep decreases. This is because there is a high correlation between appetite hormones and sleep.
Reduced hours of sleep leads to a decreased level of leptin, a hormone associated with satiety, and an increased level of ghrelin, a hormone associated with appetite, resulting in more food cravings.
In particular, glucose metabolism works differently when we are sleeping versus when we are awake. Because our brain and muscles consume less glucose when we are asleep, there is little change in blood sugar. When we are awake, however, they require glucose to function, leading naturally to an increase in appetite.
In addition, prolonged sleep deprivation can result in fatigue, which in turn leads to a decreased amount of physical activity — and obesity. Research findings show that people who sleep 5 hours a day are at a 1.25 greater risk of obesity than those who sleep 7 hours a day.
#Want this diet to be your last? Get some sleep!
Because our bodies all work differently, and because we sleep less as we age, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how much sleep is the most appropriate. This much, however, is true: getting a sufficient amount of sleep is the key to a successful diet and to changing your physical constitution. Let’s not forget, getting enough sleep is a prerequisite to maintaining a healthy weight and enjoying a healthy life!
#Want this diet to be your last? Get some sleep!
Because our bodies all work differently, and because we sleep less as we age, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how much sleep is the most appropriate. This much, however, is true: getting a sufficient amount of sleep is the key to a successful diet and to changing your physical constitution. Let’s not forget, getting enough sleep is a prerequisite to maintaining a healthy weight and enjoying a healthy life!
Thinking of exercising excessively, drastically reducing the amount of food intake, or even taking medications to shed those pounds? Well, consider getting a good night’s sleep first. This is because getting a sufficient amount of sleep will re-form your body fundamentally so that it becomes less prone to gaining weight.
Our body metabolizes even when we are sleeping. It actually burns a significant number of calories in particular when it activates the recovery system to regenerate cells. At this recovery stage, the metabolic rate increases, burning the fat stored in our body, which explains why a good night’s sleep is the key to losing weight, not to mention waking up to a lighter body, clearer skin, improved eyesight, and, wait for it, a better personality!
#Five reasons you put on weight when you put off sleep.
There are quite a few explanations as to why you gain weight when you are sleep deprived: leptin, ghrelin, basal metabolism, physical activity, stress hormones, metabolites imbalance … the list goes on.
Let’s look at some of the reasons why we put on weight when we put off sleep, as highlighted by the Fox News Channel.
Our body metabolizes even when we are sleeping. It actually burns a significant number of calories in particular when it activates the recovery system to regenerate cells. At this recovery stage, the metabolic rate increases, burning the fat stored in our body, which explains why a good night’s sleep is the key to losing weight, not to mention waking up to a lighter body, clearer skin, improved eyesight, and, wait for it, a better personality!
#Five reasons you put on weight when you put off sleep.
There are quite a few explanations as to why you gain weight when you are sleep deprived: leptin, ghrelin, basal metabolism, physical activity, stress hormones, metabolites imbalance … the list goes on.
Let’s look at some of the reasons why we put on weight when we put off sleep, as highlighted by the Fox News Channel.
1. We burn fewer calories According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a day of zero sleep following a day of 12 hours of sleep led to 5% reduction in usual calorie burn and 20% reduction in postprandial calorie burn.
2. We eat more In 2011 study by the American Heart Association, women who slept only four hours did eat 329 more calories than women who slept nine hours. As for men, this intake difference was 263 calories under the same conditions. In addition, 11 subjects slept 5.5 hours a day for one week and 8.5 hours a day for the next week. The results? They ate more snacks at night and consumed more carbohydrates when they were sleep deprived.
2. We eat more In 2011 study by the American Heart Association, women who slept only four hours did eat 329 more calories than women who slept nine hours. As for men, this intake difference was 263 calories under the same conditions. In addition, 11 subjects slept 5.5 hours a day for one week and 8.5 hours a day for the next week. The results? They ate more snacks at night and consumed more carbohydrates when they were sleep deprived.
3. We become gluttonous A lack of sleep leads to an increase in ghrelin, which stimulates the appetite, and a decrease in leptin, which is associated with satiety. This means that not only do we eat more when sleep deprived, but we don’t feel as full even when we do eat more. Reward psychology wasn’t the reason why we are tempted to grab a late-night snack after working late; ghrelin was!
4. We might lose weight, but still stay fat Researchers at the University of Chicago divided 10 overweight people into two groups and conducted a two-week experiment. Both groups ate a balanced diet, with the first group sleeping 7.5 hours a day and the second group sleeping only 5 hours and 15 minutes a day. Subjects in both groups each lost about 3 kg of weight, but the amount of fat loss differed substantially: 1.4 kg for those who had sufficient sleep versus 0.6 kg for those who lacked sleep.
4. We might lose weight, but still stay fat Researchers at the University of Chicago divided 10 overweight people into two groups and conducted a two-week experiment. Both groups ate a balanced diet, with the first group sleeping 7.5 hours a day and the second group sleeping only 5 hours and 15 minutes a day. Subjects in both groups each lost about 3 kg of weight, but the amount of fat loss differed substantially: 1.4 kg for those who had sufficient sleep versus 0.6 kg for those who lacked sleep.
5. We eat during the time we are awake There is no need to cite some clinical study to prove this statement. Two additional hours we stay awake translates to two additional hours we stay up eating, and we have our hormones to thank for this increase in appetite.
Sometimes it’s tiring just to think that we constantly need to remind ourselves about maintaining a healthy weight and eating healthy. But then again, a healthy diet is not just that: it comes hand in hand with quality of life, health, and life expectancy, which is probably why we have all accepted it as a lifelong assignment — whether we like it or not!
If you think you put on weight easily compared to your food intake, or if you are having difficulty controlling your appetite, think about how and how much you sleep. Remember: getting enough sleep should come before restrictive diets or excessive workouts.
If you think you put on weight easily compared to your food intake, or if you are having difficulty controlling your appetite, think about how and how much you sleep. Remember: getting enough sleep should come before restrictive diets or excessive workouts.
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