Is it possible that getting adequate sleep will help you lose weight?
Consuming more calories than necessary is one of the key causes of obesityTrusted Source.
People who have significant sleep deprivation are more likely to consume more calories than people who do not have significant sleep deprivation, according to laboratory studies.
Researchers indicate that after receiving sleep training, overweight subjects who were not obtaining adequate sleep lowered their daily calorie intake.
Sleep education's possible relevance in weight loss programs has lately been examined by scientists.
Their findings, published in the journal JAMA NetworkTrusted Source, pave the way for more research to evaluate if the findings are generalizable and hold true over time.
Obesity rates have more than tripled since 1975, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Obesity affected 42.4 percent of people in the United States in 2017–2018, up from 30.5 percent in 1999–2000.
Obesity has been associated to a number of preventable causes of death, including stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
Obesity is caused by ingesting more calories than one needs.
According to the WHOTrusted Source, worldwide diets are becoming increasingly energy-dense and heavy in sugar and fat. Simultaneously, people have become more sedentary, which means they are burning fewer calories.
Meanwhile, a variety of social, economic, and environmental factors play a role in the development of overweight and obese persons.
Not getting enough sleep, according to researchersTrusted Source, is a risk factor. Scientists have shown that when people are sleep deprived, they are more inclined to increase their calorie consumption in laboratory trials.
However, until today, there has been little investigation into this effect in real-life situations.
A randomized controlled trial was conducted.
The goal of this study was to look at the relationship between sleep duration and calorie consumption in a real-life setting.
A total of 80 adults between the ages of 21 and 40 took part in their randomized controlled experiment. They were overweight and slept for less than 6.5 hours per night on average.
To acquire baseline data, the researchers used activity-tracking watches to measure the subjects' sleep for two weeks.
The participants were then divided into two groups. The first served as a control group by continuing to sleep normally for two weeks. Each member in the second group received one session of customized sleep hygiene counseling and a two-week individualized sleep-wake regimen to follow. The goal was to get them to sleep for 8.5 hours every night.
The researchers employed the doubly labeled water approach to track the energy intake of the two groups. Dr. Esra Tasali, head of the University of Chicago's Sleep Research Center and corresponding author of the paper, explained how it works to Medical News Today:
"The doubly labeled water method is a urine-based test in which a person drinks a harmless water in which both the hydrogen and oxygen atoms have been replaced with less frequent, but naturally occurring, stable isotopes that are easier to trace."
"My colleague and [co-]author of our research, Dale Schoeller, invented this approach in the 1950s in animals and applied it to humans for the first time in 1982. This work was started by Dale."
This is "the gold standard way to objectively track energy expenditure in real-world situations," according to Dr. Tasali, and it has changed obesity research. This technology allows us to measure and quantify energy intake without requiring participants to register their meal intake — or anything else."
calorie decrease of 270
When compared to the control group, the participants who got sleep hygiene counseling lowered their energy consumption by an average of 270 calories per day.
They also got more than an hour more sleep each night on average.
While the study did not aim to determine how reducing sleep deprivation had this effect, previous research provided some clues, according to Dr. Tasali.
"While our study did not look into processes in and of itself, potential explanations based on previous sleep deprivation research point to particular pathways."
She explained that these could include "changes in hunger and appetite-regulating hormones." For example, ghrelin levels drop, making you feel less hungry."
Changes in brain regions that regulate appetite or reward centers, according to Dr. Tasali, may cause us to eat less. Circadian variables could also play a role.
The findings were important, according to Dr. Lu Qi, head of the Tulane University Obesity Research Center, who was not engaged in the study:
"Even while sleep restriction has been linked to an increased risk of obesity and higher calorie intakes in a body of observational research, randomized clinical trial data relating sleep length to energy intakes is sparse."
"When it comes to examining causal linkages, randomized clinical trials are the gold standard." The outcomes of this study are crucial in this regard."
Dr. Qi went on to say that the findings could be due to a number of factors:
"Longer sleep may impact the secretion of appetite-regulating hormones like leptin and ghrelin, which may suppress food and energy consumption." Furthermore, research demonstrate that sleep deprivation alters brain activity connected to food reward, and that shorter sleep results in increased food reward. Furthermore, sleeping more limits the amount of time available for eating." s:
Research in the future
Dr. Mark R. Rosekind of the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy and colleagues, in an invited commentaryTrusted Source on the new research, point out certain areas of the study that could be explored further in future research.
"The study's participants were overweight and sleep-deprived at the start, raising the question of whether the findings can be applied to other populations."
"This study cannot indicate how sleep extension might work in those who are not already sleep deprived or who are of normal weight." "It's also unknown whether the outcomes would be sustained, improved, or lessened over time," the authors admit.
"The intervention is short-term and small-scale; the individuals are young and have a higher body mass index," Dr. Qi concurred. As a result, more large-scale, long-term intervention studies in more diverse populations are required."
"The next step," says Dr. Tasali, "would be to include sleep extension intervention in rigorous randomized controlled weight reduction trials to examine how it affects diet and to determine the long-term effects of sleep extension on weight."
Many people consume more calories than they expend throughout the Christmas season. As a result, gaining a few pounds at this time of year is not uncommon.
January is traditionally a month of change, with many people embarking on health kicks that include weight loss. With that in mind, let's look at some frequent misunderstandings.
1. Skipping breakfast can help you lose weight.
The cliche that breakfast is the most important meal of the day may or may not be true, but skipping breakfast does not appear to help with weight loss.
The logic behind this method is that skipping one meal a day results in a decreased overall calorie intake. The story, on the other hand, is not that straightforward.
According to one study
Food consumption data from 2,184 people aged 9–15 years was studied in the 2010 book Trusted Source. The researchers asked for the same information again twenty years later.
They compared data from those who skipped breakfast as a child and as an adult to data from people who had never skipped breakfast or had only done so as an adult.
Participants who skipped breakfast during childhood and adulthood had greater waist circumferences, higher fasting insulin levels, and higher total cholesterol levels than the other groups.
People who skip breakfast may eat more over the remainder of the day to make up for the loss. However, according to a 2013 studyTrusted Source, skipping breakfast does not contribute to eating more at lunch. "Skipping breakfast may be an effective way for some adults to reduce daily energy intake," the authors conclude.
These researchers, on the other hand, only tracked the participants' food intake at lunchtime, not at evening. Because the study only involved 24 people, we should be cautious about drawing firm conclusions.
Compared with the other groups, the participants who skipped breakfast during both childhood and adulthood tended to have larger waist circumferences, higher fasting insulin levels, and higher total cholesterol levels.
Sometimes, people who skip breakfast eat more during the rest of the day to counteract the deficit. But one 2013 studyTrusted Source found that missing breakfast does not lead to eating more at lunch. The authors conclude that “Skipping breakfast may be an effective means to reduce daily energy intake in some adults.”
However, these researchers only monitored the participants’ food intake at lunch, not dinner. And the study only included 24 participants, so we should be wary of drawing solid conclusions
2. 'Fat-burning' foods can help you lose weight.
"Fat-burning" foods are those that help you burn fat. This appears to be too good to be true, and it most likely is.
Some people believe that certain foods, such as pineapple, ginger, onions, avocados, asparagus, celery, chillies, broccoli, green tea, and garlic, assist the body burn fat by speeding up the metabolism.
However, there is little scientific proof that certain foods can help you lose weightTrusted Source.
3. Weight-loss pills may be beneficial.
Certain supplements, according to their proponents, assist the body burn fat as well. In actuality, they're either ineffectiveTrusted Source or dangerousTrusted Source.
"Hundreds of products that are marketed as dietary supplements but actually contain hidden active ingredients [...] contained in prescription drugs, unsafe ingredients in drugs that have been removed from the market, or compounds that have not been adequately studied in humans," according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Trusted Source.
A senior regulatory official at the FDA, Jason Humbert, adds:
4. Low-fat foods can help you lose weight.
Reduced fat or low fat foods, on the other hand, are likely to have less fat. These products, on the other hand, sometimes compensate by adding sugar or salt. The need of double-checking labels cannot be overstated.
It's also worth noting that "reduced fat" does not always imply "low fat," but rather that a product's fat level is lower than the full-fat version.
5. You are not permitted to snack
Snacking may be considered a cardinal sin of dieting by some. Snacking, on the other hand, can sometimes assist people better manage their caloric intake. It's not so much what you snack on that matters, but what you snack on.
Snacking could be more complicated than it appears. Some people snack on celery, while others munch on cookies, and some people snack because they're hungry, while others snack because they're bored.
Between meals, a piece of fruit or low-fat yogurt, for example, may lessen food cravings, preventing overeating at mealtimes or resorting to more energy-dense snacks.
a little research Obese persons are more prone to snack than people who are not obese, according to Trusted Source. In this situation, switching from unhealthy to healthy snacks could help you lose weight if that's your aim.
Snacking, in general, has a range of effects: it can help or impede weight loss efforts, and it can also have no effect in other situations.
Research from the past
Snacking's function in weight loss was explored by Trusted Source in 2007. The researchers encouraged one set of individuals to eat three meals a day without snacking for a year. A second group was given the task of eating three meals and three snacks per day. On a daily basis, both groups consumed the same quantity of energy.
The scientists concluded that there was no difference in weight reduction between the two groups at the end of the trial; snacking, it appears, neither assisted nor impeded weight loss.
The "relationship between eating frequency and weight loss maintenance," according to a 2011 study. The researchers looked for people who had been overweight or obese in the past but had maintained a healthy weight since then.
They compared these people's eating habits to those of obese persons and those of normal weight who had never been overweight.
The researchers discovered that persons who were in good health ate more snacks than those who had lost weight, and that those who were overweight ate the fewest snacks.
"Eating frequency, particularly in reference to a pattern of three meals and two snacks per day, may be essential in weight reduction maintenance," the scientists found.
6. No snacks are permitted.
This is a continuation of the previous myth. Limiting sugary, high-fat sweets is essential, but eliminating them totally is unnecessary and may be harmful.
According to the British Heart Foundation:
7. Certain sugars are more harmful than others.
Minimally processed sugars, such as those found in maple syrup or honey, are said to be healthier than white sugar. In actuality, our bodies metabolize sugar the same way, no matter where it comes from. All sugars are converted to monosaccharides in the gut.
It is more necessary to note the amount of sugar in any food than to examine sugar processing. Sugar has about 4 calories per gram in all forms.
8. Remove all sugar from your diet.
Following up on the last fallacy, we all know that sugar is high in calories. A person trying to lose weight, on the other hand, does not need to eliminate sugar from their diet completely.
Moderation is essential in all things. Instead, avoiding products with added sugar may be a smart idea.
9. Artificial sweeteners are beneficial to your health.
Many people use low- or no-calorie sweeteners like aspartame to reduce their sugar intake. Although this may reduce the quantity of calories ingested, some research has connected artificial (or nonnutritive) sweeteners to weight gain.
A thorough examination
In a 2017 Trusted Source and meta-analysis, researchers looked at 37 existing studies with a total of 406,910 people to see how sweeteners affect cardiometabolic health.
"Observational data imply that regular use of nonnutritive sweeteners may be associated with increased BMI [body mass index] and cardiometabolic risk," the researchers write.
However, this finding has not been obtained in all studiesTrusted Source. The effects of nonnutritive sweeteners on weight loss and metabolic health are still being debated by researchers and health experts.
10. You have the ability to target fat in specific regions.
Some people are especially motivated to shed weight in specific locations, such as their thighs or abdomen. This type of targeting is not achievable in reality. Every body reacts to weight reduction differently, and we can't pick and choose which fat cells to lose first.
Weight reduction combined with activities to tone a specific area, on the other hand, can provide the impression of more region-specific weight loss.
11. This fad diet is fantastic.
Countless diets have risen to prominence only to fade away, making way for new ones. In a nutshell, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source explain:
The takeaways
Losing weight might be difficult in general. Our bodies developed during times of scarcity, so they are equipped to absorb and retain energy. Many of us, however, live in a society where calories are plentiful, and our bodies continue to store energy as if it were out of style.
In general, the most reliable way to weight loss is to reduce caloric consumption and exercise. People with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, should consult their doctors before embarking on a new weight-loss plan.
It's also important to remember that if anything appears to be too good to be true, it probably is – any "weight loss miracle" is unlikely to be miraculous. Although most foods are not inherently unhealthy, it is a good idea to limit your intake of high-sugar and high-fat foods.
Good luck to everybody starting a healthy weight loss program this year. Here are some additional helpful hints.
Obesity affects 42.4 percent of adults in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Obesity affects roughly 650 million persons worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Obesity is causing an increase in public awareness of the health risks linked with it. Nonetheless, despite public health campaigns, falsehoods persist. Many of the most common myths contribute to stigma, which can have a negative impact on the mental health of people who are obese.
For example, according to the findings of a meta-analysis on the subject published in 2020, "there is a higher link between weight stigma and reduced mental health with increasing body mass index [BMI]."
It's critical to dispel the fallacies around obesity. In light of this, this essay will address five of the most common misconceptions about this ailment.
1. To lose weight, simply eat less and exercise more.
Obesity is frequently caused by ingesting more calories than the body requires for an extended period of time. Indeed, the vast majority of obesity-prevention strategies focus on lowering calorie intake, increasing physical activity, or a combination of the two.
Although food and exercise are key variables, obesity can also be caused by a variety of other factors.
Insufficient sleepTrusted Source, psychological stress, chronic pain, endocrine (hormone) disruptors, and the use of certain drugs are all variables that people commonly overlook.
Overeating, for example, may be a symptom rather than a cause in some circumstances.
Also, some of these factors work together to increase the chance of obesity. As an example, stress can increase the chance of obesity. Due to the prevalence of weight stigma, obesity can be stressful for some people, thereby increasing stress levels and sparking a negative feedback loop.
Added to this, stress can impact sleep quality, and this, in turn, might cause sleep deprivation, which is another factor in the development of obesity. Sleep deprivation also appears to increase stress levels. As one paperTrusted Source explains, “stress hormone levels correlate positively with decreased sleep duration.”
Sleep apnea, wherein a person stops breathing for short periods during sleep, is more prevalent in people with overweight or obesity. Again, a cycle can form: As they gain weight, their sleep apnea may worsen, which can lead to sleep deprivation, which can lead to further weight gain.
As another example, there appears to be an associationTrusted Source between chronic pain and obesity. The reasons for this relationship are sure to be complex and differ from person to person, but they likely include chemical factors, sleep, depression, and lifestyle.
It is not difficult to see how chronic pain would both increase stress levels and impact sleep, adding to the negative loops outlined above.
Stress, sleep, and pain are just three interlinking factors that can drive obesity. Each person’s case will be different, but simply receiving an instruction to “move more and eat less” might not be an adequate intervention.
As this article will continue to reiterate, calorie intake and exercise are vital factors in reducing obesity, but they do not tell the whole tale.
2. Diabetes is caused by obesity.
Obesity does not cause diabetes in and of itself. Obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, although not everyone who is obese develops the disease, and not everyone who has type 2 diabetes is obese.
Obesity increases the risk of gestational diabetes, which develops during pregnancy, but it does not increase the risk of type 1 diabetes.
3. Obese people are slackers.
Obesity is caused by an inactive lifestyle, and increasing activity can help you lose weight, however obesity is caused by more than just inactivity.
In a 2011 study, accelerometers were used to track the activity levels of 2,832 persons aged 20 to 79 over four days. As their weight climbed, their step counts decreased, but the variations were not as large as one might expect, especially for women.
The weights of the women and the number of steps they took every day during the study are listed below:
8,819 steps for persons with a "healthy" weight
8,506 steps for persons who are overweight
Obese individuals: 7,546 steps
When one considers that someone who is overweight or obese expends more energy with each step, the difference in overall energy expenditures between the groups may be much smaller.
This isn't to say that physical activity isn't important for good health; nevertheless, the tale is more complicated.
Another thing to consider is that not everyone can engage in physical activities. Some physical limitations, for example, can make mobility difficult or impossible.
Furthermore, certain mental health conditions can have a significant impact on motivation — and there appears to be a link between depression and obesity, which adds to the complication.
Aside from physical and mental health difficulties, some obese persons may have a negative body imageTrusted Source, making leaving the house a more difficult idea.
4. If you have a close relative who is obese, you are likely to be obese as well.
Obesity and heredity have a complicated link, although someone who has obese relatives does not definitely develop the disorder. However, they have a better probability of succeeding.
In isolation, it's difficult to understand the role of genes and the environment; people with similar genes frequently live together and, as a result, may have similar food and lifestyle patterns.
A group of academics produced a study in 1990 that helped separate genes from their surroundings. The study's findings were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The researchers looked into twins who were raised separately and compared them to twins who were raised together. They sought to separate the effects of heredity and the environment in this way. They come to the following conclusion:
A twin study published in 1986 by Trusted Source came to identical conclusions. The weights of adopted children were shown to be connected with the weights of their biological parents, but not with the weights of their adoptive parents.
Although more recent research have found that the environment plays a larger impact in obesity, genetics appears to play a significant role.
In recent years, scientists have been looking for genes that influence the likelihood of being obese. According to the CDC, "no single genetic factor can be identified in most people with obesity." Since 2006, genome-wide association studies have identified more than 50 genes that are linked to obesity, the majority of which have minor impacts."
A variation of the FTO gene is one of the genes connected to obesity. According to a 2011 study, this variation is linked to a 20–30 percent greater risk of obesity.
Although genetics play a role, obesity is not a certain conclusion for someone with a family history of the disease. The role of exercise was investigated in the above study, which included people who had the FTO gene variant. As stated in the paper:
"The scientists discovered that having a copy of the susceptibility gene raised the likelihood of obesity by 1.23-fold, based on data from over 218,000 persons." However, in physically active genetically sensitive people, this influence was 27 percent smaller."
A meta-analysis and review The identical gene mutation was researched by Trusted Source, and they came to the same result. People with the FTO variant "react as well to [...] weight loss therapies," according to the authors, "and hence genetic predisposition to obesity associated with the FTO minor allele can be at least partly countered through such interventions."
It is crucial to emphasize, however, that these interventions may not be sufficient for certain persons.
5. Obesity has no negative effects on one's health.
This is a fabrication. Obesity is linked to a number of health problems. Obesity, for example, raises the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and a variety of mental health issues.
Even minor weight loss, however, might be beneficial to one's health. "Weight loss of 5–10% of your total body weight is likely to produce health benefits, such as improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugars," according to the CDC.
Weight loss therapies "may lower premature all-cause mortality in persons with obesity," according to a review of existing data published in the BMJTrusted Source.
A variation of the FTO gene is one of the genes connected to obesity. According to a 2011 study, this variation is linked to a 20–30 percent greater risk of obesity.
Although genetics play a role, obesity is not a certain conclusion for someone with a family history of the disease. The role of exercise was investigated in the above study, which included people who had the FTO gene variant. As stated in the paper:
"The scientists discovered that having a copy of the susceptibility gene raised the likelihood of obesity by 1.23-fold, based on data from over 218,000 persons." However, in physically active genetically sensitive people, this influence was 27 percent smaller."