Losing sleep and gaining weight?

This is a little off-topic, but interesting: Research from the University of Bristol, U.K., finds a correlation between weight gain and sleep loss.

Dr Shahrad Taheri from Bristol University, and colleagues in the United States, examined the role of two key hormones that are involved in regulating appetite – ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin increases feelings of hunger while leptin acts to suppress appetite. "Individuals who spend less than 8 hours sleeping were shown to have a greater likelihood of being heavier."

People who habitually slept for 5 hours were found to have 15% more ghrelin than those who slept for 8 hours. They were also found to have 15% less leptin. These hormonal changes may cause increased feelings of hunger, leading to a foraging in the fridge for food.

Maybe that's why so many people gain weight when they go to conferences--if they're like me, they don't sleep as well and take too much advantage of the overflowing buffets.

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