Younger adults ''risk belly fat'' from extremes of sleep
04/03/2010
Younger adults who get too much or too little sleep may see their waistlines get much bigger over time, according to a new study into healthy sleeping habits.
Researchers in the US found that particularly in the case of black and Hispanic adults younger than 40, those who slept for five hours or fewer each night had a greater accumulation of fat around the belly over the following five years, at least when compared to those who averaged six or seven.
Greater fat gain was logged by those who had eight hours or more in bed each night, though it had less impact than that seen in shorter sleepers.
Lead author Kristen G Hairston, the assistant professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, said: "Appropriate amounts of sleep are important for maintenance of healthy weight."
This week, the Herald revealed that a unique project by Glasgow City Council will see it team up with a sleep counsellor to give lessons to teenagers on how to get the best quality of sleep in bed every night.
Posted by Elizabeth Mewes
