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Study ties inadequate sleep to obesity

New study suggests that adequate sleep can play an important role in maintaining healthy weight, stressing that inadequate sleep can impact body weight in a number of ways.

Two Canadian obesity researchers revealed that lack of sleep alters serum levels of hormones such as leptin, ghrelin, cortisol and orexin and consequently affects parts of the brain that control appetite.

the study analyzed the obesity reasons through divergent factors.

"We know that obesity is very complex. It isn't one-size-fits-all. People gain weight for different reasons. It's not always an increase in food intake. It can be stress, depression, genes, and inadequate sleep,” said Jean-Philippe Chaput, the specialist in preventive medicine who works on obesity in children at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, in Ottawa.

According to the study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, those who stay up late, watching television for instance, tend to consume more high calorie foods.

Moreover, inadequate sleep puts the body under stress, causing the release of higher amounts of the stress homone cortisol and these changes can sabotage weight loss efforts, he clarified.

The researchers also believe that people who do not get enough sleep are less likely to be physically active during the day.

They however concluded that while the study reveals a link between sleep and obesity, getting more sleep is not the solution for those who are struggling with weight problems.

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