Adequate sleep is an important part of a weight loss plan and should be added to the recommended mix of diet and exercise, states a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Although kilojoule restriction and increased physical activity are recommended for weight loss,
there is significant evidence that inadequate sleep is contributing to
obesity. Lack of sleep increases the stimulus to consume more food and
increases appetite-regulating hormones.
Sleep should be part of weight-loss plan
"The solution [to weight loss] is not as simple as 'eat less, move
more, sleep more,'" write Drs. Jean-Phillippe Chaput, Children's
Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario and
Angelo Tremblay, Laval University, Québec, Quebec.
"However, an accumulating body of evidence suggests that sleeping
habits should not be overlooked when prescribing a weight-reduction
program to a patient with obesity. Sleep should be included as part of
the lifestyle package that traditionally has focused on diet and
physical activity."
The authors' recently published research found that total sleep time
and quality of sleep predicted the loss of fat in people enrolled in a
weight loss program.
The Canadian Obesity Network has included adequate sleep in its new set of obesity management tools for physicians.
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Health24