But what can parents do about it?
INCREASED obesity levels in children and adolescents could be linked to a lack of sleep, it was reported yesterday.
Dr Shahrad Taheri, a researcher at Bristol University, said children and adolescents were sleeping less than they used to, which in turn affected hormone levels that control appetite and energy expenditure.
He blamed the reduced sleep periods on increased use of televisions, mobile phones and computers, and said research suggested that most TV viewing by children happened near bedtime, and could disrupt sleep.
Writing in the Archives of Disease in Childhood from the British Medical Journal, Dr Taheri said that removing the gadgets from children’s bedrooms could contribute in the fight against obesity.
But parents said that was easier said than done as their children would put up a fight over the issue.
“You can’t remove them from the room. I wouldn’t even consider it and besides it’s impossible because it’s what youngsters rely on for entertainment nowadays; the internet, sending text messages on their phones, watching TV,” Panayiota Savva said.
The 42-year-old mother said her teenage daughter didn’t abuse having the gadgets in her room and said that she saw no reason to remove them if they didn’t affect her sleeping pattern.
“She goes to sleep at around 10pm and has to be up just before 6am so she knows not to stay up late watching TV. I also go in to check on her,” she said.
Agathe Andreou said her 11-year-old son was not as disciplined.
“The only reason he’s not up till all hours watching TV or on the computer is because we don’t let him have either in his room. If we did, we’d never have any control of how many hours he’s on it or what he’s watching,” she said.
“As long as we have the computer and TV in the common area, he goes to bed at 9pm and doesn’t wake up till the morning.”
Andri Michael, 38, said her 15-year-old daughter was also good about not staying up late, but admitted the reason for that was most likely the absence of an internet connection in their home.
She said: “For the time being she hasn’t asked for it so she’s happy to use the computer in her room for homework and on Sundays. If we get the internet it’ll likely be a big temptation and it’s highly likely she won’t stick to her school night curfew.”
Speaking to reporters in the UK, Taheri said sleep was probably not the only answer to the obesity pandemic, but that its effect should be taken seriously, as even small changes in energy balance were beneficial.
He added: “Individuals who spent less than eight hours sleeping were shown to have a greater likelihood of being heavier.”
Cypriot paediatrician Dr Savvas Savva, who is an expert in the field of childhood obesity, said the results were not surprising but that the conclusions were likely inconclusive.
“Sleep playing a part in increased obesity rates is not something new, but obesity is a multifactorial problem, and this research is looking at one of its many factors,” Savva said.
The paediatrician said it was no surprise grandmothers used to say “sleep nourishes children”.
“They meant that it helped children grow, but it is important in every way,” Savva said.
The research found that people who habitually slept for five hours had 15 per cent more ghrelin, a hormone which increases feelings of hunger, than those who slept for eight hours. Those who slept for less time were also found to have 15 per cent less leptin, a hormone which suppresses appetite.
Savva said it was normal for the hormones to fluctuate during the course of the day and that obese people often excreted greater levels of ghrelin.
“[But] it’s important to stress that this is not conclusive, nor can we say if we sleep longer hours we’ve solved the problem of obesity.”
Taheri added that lack of sleep also led to tiredness during the day, which meant people often failed to be physically active, a known contributor to obesity.
The researcher told reporters an obesity prevention approach in children and adolescents that promoted a healthy diet, physical activity and adequate sleep could be adopted.
“Ensuring adequate sleep in children and adolescents may not only help fighting against obesity, but could have other added health and educational benefits – for example improvements in academic performance,” he said.
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