Study: Lack of sleep makes children twice as likely to become obese

Study: Lack of sleep makes children twice as likely to become obese

by : dpa

Date : Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:34:13 GMT
Hong Kong - Young children face a significantly higher risk of becoming obese if they do not get enough sleep, university researchers in Hong Kong said Thursday. A study of five to 12-year-olds by the city's Chinese University found that children who regularly sleep for less than the recommended 10 hours a night are twice as likely to become obese.
Professor Albert Li, who led the research project, said his researchers concluded that a lack of sleep caused a hormonal upset which makes children want to eat more.
One of the major factors for the lack of sleep among Hong Kong youngsters was the high amounts of homework given to them by their schools, he said.
"There are many factors such as environment and what the parents do," Li said. "Education and school work is also a major player ... Children spend a long time doing school work and they have to get up early in the mornings."
Obesity levels among young people in Hong Kong have risen sharply in the past three decades with experts blaming lack of exercise and an increasing trend towards western-style fast-food diets.