William Atkins
Friday, 04 September 2009 20:25
Science -
Health
Page 2 of 3
The Northwestern University scientists found that these nocturnal mice gained more weight during the day (when they normally sleep) than at night (when they normally eat).
They concluded,
“A better understanding of the role of the circadian system for weight gain could have important implications for developing new therapeutic strategies for combating the obesity epidemic facing the human population today.” [Abstract]
According to the September 3, 2009 U.S. News and World Report article “
Eating When You Should be Asleep (and 3 Other Weight-Loss Saboteurs),” there are three primary activities involving irregular eating habits that contribute significantly for putting on weight in humans.
One of these activities is
“eating very late at night.” Snacking when you should be asleep it a way that people put on extra weight.
This is sometimes called “night-eating syndrome,” when people wake up in the middle of the night and eat to satisfy their hunger.
In addition, people gain extra weight when they consume a large percentage of their daily caloric intake after eating their evening meal.
Another way that people can gain extra weight is when they skip breakfast.
Page three concludes with additional information, and a comment from the lead researcher in the Northwestern University study.
