Sleeping is Good for Weight Control

Public release date: 8-Jun-2009
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-06/aaos-srr060209.php

Sleep restriction results in weight gain despite decreases in appetite
and consumption

WESTCHESTER, Ill. – According to a research abstract that will be
presented on Monday, June 8 at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of
the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, in the presence of free
access to food, sleep restricted subjects reported decrease in appetite,
food cravings and food consumption; however, they gained weight over the
course of the study. Thus, the finding suggests that energy intake
exceeded energy expenditure during the sleep restriction

Results indicate that people whose sleep was restricted experienced an
average weight gain of 1.31 kilograms over the 11 days of the study. Of
the subjects with restricted sleep who reported a change in their
appetite and food consumption, more than 70 percent said that it
decreased by day 5 of the study. A group of well rested control subjects
did not experience the weight gain.

According to lead investigator Siobhan Banks, PhD, a research fellow at
the University of South Australia and former assistant research
professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, it was
surprising that participants did not crave foods rich in carbohydrates
after sleep restriction, as previous research suggested they might.
Results indicate that even though physiologically the desire to eat was
not increased by sleep loss in participants, other factors such as the
sedentary environment of the laboratory and the ability to snack for
longer due to reduction in time spent asleep might have influenced the
weight gain.

"During real-world periods of sleep restriction (say during shift work),
people should plan their calorie intake over the time they will be
awake, eating small, healthy meals," said Banks. "Additionally, healthy
low fat/sugar snacks should be available so the temptation to eat
comfort foods is reduced. Finally, keeping up regular exercise is just
as important as what food you eat, so even though people may feel tried,
exercising will help regulate energy intake balance."

The study involved 92 healthy individuals (52 male) between the ages of
22 and 45 years who participated in laboratory controlled sleep
restriction. Subjects underwent two nights of baseline sleep (10 hours
in bed per night), five nights of sleep restriction and varying recovery
for four nights. Nine well rested participants served as controls. Food
consumption was ad libitum (subjects had three regular meals per day and
access to healthy snacks, and during nights of sleep restriction
subjects were given a small sandwich at one a.m.).

We Probably All Could Use More Fiber

But is sugar-sweetened cereal the best way to get more of it in our daily diet?
----------------------------------------------

One of the largest and loudest leaps onto the fiber bandwagon will take
place Thursday when Kellogg
(K) announces
plans to pump fiber into most of its cereal line.

Some 80% of Kellogg cereals will have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving
by the end of 2010. That may sound small, but foods with 3 grams are rated a
good source of fiber by the government. The fiber boost begins in August
with kid-targeted cereals Froot Loops and Apple Jacks.

The move is expected to rock the packaged foods industry, which is under
pressure from consumers and lawmakers to boost food quality. The industry
has recently begun embracing fiber-fortified products at warp speed.

New products touting higher fiber are rolling out at a record clip in 2009,
with 6.5% of new foods making such a claim through the month of May, reports
Datamonitor, the research specialist. Marketers from Dannon to Kraft have
introduced fiber-enriched products this year.

Fiber is the top-ranked item that consumers are asking Kellogg to add to kid
cereals, says Jose Alberto Duenas, vice president of U.S. cereal marketing.
The number of consumers who check fiber content on nutrition panels grew to
52% last year, vs. 42% in 2006, reports the International Food Information
Council.

Rest of article HERE.

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What about eating naturally high fiber foods, teaching your children to enjoy fruits & vegetables and whole grains (rather than more processed foods). Lead by example. Enjoy real food.