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Lack of sleep and obesity
This isn't actually very recent news, but I was reminded of it by a friend who linked to an article in the Guardian showing that the link between obesity and lack of exercise isn't as clear cut as often assumed.
I became very aware of the link between lack of sleep and obesity through having two friends who suffered from sleep apnea - that's a nasty condition that keeps waking you up in the night. Obesity makes sleep apnea worse - but - and it's a big but - sleep apnea also makes the obesity worse, setting up a vicious circle that is staggeringly difficult to break out of.
There seems to be a connection with hormones. In a nutshell, if you don't get enough sleep, it affects the hormones that regulate appetite.
So, if you have a weight problem, try going to bed an hour or two earlier. You may find it makes a surprising difference.
There's also a connection between lack of sleep and depression It used to be thought that lack of sleep was a symptom of depression. It now seems likely that it's another of those circles and that lack of sleep can actually help cause depression.
In the case of depression, I suspect it's not only necessary to get more sleep, but to try and find techniques to relax and unwind before going to sleep.
(One of the many reasons I enjoy cross stitch is that it's a very good way of mentally relaxing in the last half hour before going to bed. I'd recommend it to anyone)
I became very aware of the link between lack of sleep and obesity through having two friends who suffered from sleep apnea - that's a nasty condition that keeps waking you up in the night. Obesity makes sleep apnea worse - but - and it's a big but - sleep apnea also makes the obesity worse, setting up a vicious circle that is staggeringly difficult to break out of.
There seems to be a connection with hormones. In a nutshell, if you don't get enough sleep, it affects the hormones that regulate appetite.
So, if you have a weight problem, try going to bed an hour or two earlier. You may find it makes a surprising difference.
There's also a connection between lack of sleep and depression It used to be thought that lack of sleep was a symptom of depression. It now seems likely that it's another of those circles and that lack of sleep can actually help cause depression.
In the case of depression, I suspect it's not only necessary to get more sleep, but to try and find techniques to relax and unwind before going to sleep.
(One of the many reasons I enjoy cross stitch is that it's a very good way of mentally relaxing in the last half hour before going to bed. I'd recommend it to anyone)
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Knitting works very well, too. I think anything that keeps the hands moderately busy and doesn't require too much from the brain would be good, such as an easy to read book, for instance.
As for the weight gain, I believe (and the article says as much) that this also has to do with the type of food that is easily available. The easiest foods (a.k.a. fast foods) are all high calorie foods. More importantly, those are the foods that are advertised all the time. I've seen lots of ads for pizzas, candy bars and other high calorie, low nutrition stuff, but never once for broccoli. So those are the foods that come to mind when you've got the munchies.
One of the reasons I've lost weight during the past year is that I've been eating many more vegetables than previously and no more chocolate or other sweets at all. Also no fast food whatsoever, I've switched to cooking every meal. It takes a little more work, but the kilograms just disappear and stay away.
Another important tip is portion control. Cook only the amount you're suppose to eat. That way, you can't be tempted to fill up your plate again, because there simply isn't any more food ready for the taking.
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Also, there are low calorie snacks. Do you have something called snack a jacks where you live? It's low fat, reasonably low calorie and it tastes a lot like potato chips.
Lastly, reward yourself for being strong with a nice and totally unhealthy snack only once a week. You'll find it tastes much better if you don't eat it all the time.
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