More news this morning added to yesterday's shocking facts on obesity. Sleeping in a room with too much light has been linked to an increased risk of excess weight.
www.househome.co.uk A team at the Institute of Cancer Research in London found women's waistlines were larger if their bedroom contained enough light to see across at night. The source could come from street lights, electrical alarm clocks and standby lights on equipment such as televisions. Light alters mood, physical strength and even the way we process food in a 24-hour cycle.
But don't go out and spend money on changes just yet. There is not enough evidence to make you buy thicker curtains or turn off lights.
Funded by Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the study of 113,000 women was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
The women were asked to rate the amount of light in their bedrooms at night as:
Light enough to read
Light enough to see across the room, but not read
Light enough to see your hand in front of you, but not across the room
Too dark to see your hand or you wear a mask
Their answers were compared to several measures of obesity. Body Mass Index, waist-to-hip ratio and waist circumference were all higher in women with lighter rooms.
That's amazing. All? Sounds conclusive to me.
But don't go out and spend money on changes just yet. There is not enough evidence to make you buy thicker curtains or turn off lights.
Funded by Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the study of 113,000 women was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
The women were asked to rate the amount of light in their bedrooms at night as:
Light enough to read
Light enough to see across the room, but not read
Light enough to see your hand in front of you, but not across the room
Too dark to see your hand or you wear a mask
Their answers were compared to several measures of obesity. Body Mass Index, waist-to-hip ratio and waist circumference were all higher in women with lighter rooms.
That's amazing. All? Sounds conclusive to me.
www.telegraph.co.uk I must admit my bedroom is lit by a street light. I leave the curtains open to gain as much as possible, never thinking it might not be good for my body. The hall light comes through the glass in the front door, and the back window in the bathroom filters in light from the outdoor security light. I've always appreciated the guidance when I get up at night.
But the evidence from such a large group of people links light exposure at night with overweight and obesity. Artificial light is known to disrupt the body clock by delaying the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
One explanation could be the light disrupts the body clock. In our evolutionary past, we were active when it was light and resting when it was dark.
Here's another way of modern suburban living affecting people in a bad way. In society's artificial environment, the combination of street lights, traffic whizzing by at all hours of the night, and electrical equipment could be affecting the way our body processes food.
But the evidence from such a large group of people links light exposure at night with overweight and obesity. Artificial light is known to disrupt the body clock by delaying the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
One explanation could be the light disrupts the body clock. In our evolutionary past, we were active when it was light and resting when it was dark.
Here's another way of modern suburban living affecting people in a bad way. In society's artificial environment, the combination of street lights, traffic whizzing by at all hours of the night, and electrical equipment could be affecting the way our body processes food.
RSS Feed
