Teens lacking proper sleep are at risk of obesity, new research reveals.
The study by Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Public Health explained that less sleep influences body mass index (BMI), a measurement of obesity. The team discovered that sleeplessness in teens could increase their risk of obesity.
The study was conducted on more than 10,000 teens and young adults aged between 16 and 21. They were a part of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health that gathered information on their height, weight and sleeping patterns from 1995 to 2001.
The research findings showed that nearly 20 percent of the 16-year-olds slept less than six hours a day. They were 20 percent more likely to be obese by the time they turned 21 compared to those who got more than eight hours per night.
"Lack of sleep in your teenage years can stack the deck against you for obesity later in life. Once you're an obese adult, it is much harder to lose weight and keep it off. And the longer you are obese, the greater your risk for health problems like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer," Shakira F. Suglia, ScD, assistant professor of Epidemiology at the Mailman School, said in a press release. "The message for parents is to make sure their teenagers get more than eight hours a night. A good night's sleep does more than help them stay alert in school. It helps them grow into healthy adults."
Lack of sleep leads to a number of health issues, such as daytime fatigue that can affect choices of food that people eat. For instance, those physically or mentally exhausted are more likely to choose fast food over healthier options.
The study, "Sleep Duration and Obesity among Adolescents Transitioning to Adulthood: Do Results Differ by Sex?" was published in the Journal of Pediatrics.
