Bariatric Times - June 2008 - (Page 37)

Bariatric Times • June 2008 Research Perspective 37 50 percent more likely to be obese; and people who sleep for six hours have a 23-percent greater chance of obesity. Another study7 examining changes in body fat in association with sleep duration, found a 2.8-percent increase in total body fat for each hour of sleep less than seven hours per night. Cross-sectional studies such as those described above clearly show a link between sleep loss and larger body size, but such studies fail to provide evidence that sleep deprivation contributes to obesity. Prospective (longitudinal) studies, however, have found significant and inverse associations between shortened sleep duration and weight gain and/or future obesity, suggesting possible causation.8–12 A recent report12 involving a subpopulation (ages 21 to 64 years) of the Quebec Family Study found that individuals who sleep for only 5 to 6 hours, as compared to those who get 7 to 8 hours, are 35 percent more likely to gain at least 5kg of additional weight over the course of a six-year period. Four additional longitudinal studies8–11 have likewise found that sleeping for periods less than seven hours results, in the long-term, in weight gain and greater obesity risk. Regretfully, chronic sleep loss is not a condition exclusive to adults. In our society, children, adolescents, and even toddlers are sleep deprived, although the extent of such deprivation is presently unknown. According to the National Sleep Foundation,1 infants up to 12 months old need 14 to 18.5 hours of sleep; toddlers 12 to 18 months old need 13 to 15 hours of sleep; children 2 to 3 years old need 12 to 14 hours; children 3 to 5 years old need 11 to 13 hours; children 5 to 12 years old need 9 to 11 hours; and adolescents need 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep daily. Epidemiological studies find that shortened sleep duration among children of all ages is strongly linked to concurrent and future obesity.5,13–17 Data from three longitudinal studies have shown that sleep loss in infancy or early childhood substantially increases the risk for overweight or obesity in later childhood years.14–16 The results of these studies are quite disturbing because sleep in the early childhood years is important for brain development and plasticity. Sleep deprivation, at this time, could have an adverse impact upon the development of neuroendocrine regulators of appetite and/or energy expenditure, making body size maintenance more difficult throughout the course of life. MECHANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR WEIGHT GAIN WITH SLEEP DEPRIVATION Behavioral as well as biological conditions contribute to the association between shortened sleep duration and obesity. Sleep loss may increase the risk for weight gain by lengthening the time an individual has available for food and beverage consumption. A person who remains awake for a longer period in the evening, particularly if they are spending time in front of the television, may be eating more snacks than would someone who goes to bed earlier. Studies find associations between sleep loss and snacking, as well as other eating irregularities, including cravings for calorie-dense carbohydrates, a reduction or absence of fruit and vegetable consumption, and inconsistent mealtimes.18–20 In addition, chronic sleep loss may reduce an individual’s desire for physical

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Bariatric Times - June 2008

Bariatric Times - June 2008 Endoluminal Treatment Options for Morbid Obesity: Devices and Techniques for Natural Orifice Approaches The Multidisciplinary Approach to Weight Loss: Defining the Roles of the Necessary Providers Acute Bleeding after Gastric Bypass Editorial Message Contents ASMBS: 25 Years Editorial Board Surgical Site Infection In The Morbidly Obese Patient: A Review Consultant's Corner The Link Between Sleep Loss and Obesity: Understanding the Mechanisms Responsible for Weight Gain with Sleep Deprivation Volume Matters Journal Watch Advertiser Index

Bariatric Times - June 2008

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