Mayo Clinic: Lack of sleep + food access = more calories & belly fat accumulation, incl. unhealthy fat.
Lack of sleep ➔ 9% increase in total abdominal fat, 11% increase in visceral fat ➔ linked to heart and metabolic diseases. Mayo Clinic study.
Sleep choice widespread; >1/3 U.S. adults lack sleep due to shift work, smart devices, social networks. Longer wake, more eating, less activity.
Less sleep, ↑calories, slight weight ↑, significant belly fat ↑ - Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D., principal investigator of sleep study.
Inadequate sleep and hidden visceral fat detected by CT scan, even with modest weight gain. Repeated poor sleep may lead to cumulative health risks.
12 healthy participants, 2 sessions each, randomized sleep groups, free-choice food. Monitored: intake, expenditure, weight, composition, fat, biomarkers.
Dr. Somers suggests behavioral interventions (exercise, diet) for shift workers with sleep disruption. More research needed for high-risk individuals.