New study explains weight gain, late-night eating link
MANILA, Philippines — A recent study has discovered how eating late at night is connected to gaining weight and diabetes.
Scientists at Northwestern University set out to find how "over-nutrition can disrupt circadian rhythms and change fat tissue," as depicted in a journal posted on Science.
New findings by researchers show that human bodies' internal clocks control energy balance because of energy release, and daytime is the most optimal and ideal time to dissipate energy as heat.
The study involved nocturnal mice being put on a high-fat diet exclusively over two different activity periods. Mice fed during their inactive period gained more weight compared to those fed during their active period.
Corresponding study author Dr. Joseph T. Bass, a a Northwestern Medicine endocrinologist and the Charles F. Kettering Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, acknowledged that insults to one's body clock are insults to metabolism.
"When animals consume Western style cafeteria diets — high fat, high carb — the clock gets scrambled," Bass said. "The clock is sensitive to the time people eat, especially in fat tissue, and that sensitivity is thrown off by high-fat diets."
Bass pointed out that as animals become obese, they start to eat more when they should be sleeping.
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This new research was supported by research Bass and some Northwestern colleagues did 20 years ago on the relationship between the internal molecular clock and body weight, obesity and metabolism in animals.
Unhealthy lifestyle habits
A separate study found that an unbalanced diet, not exercising regularly, and not getting enough sleep are the top unhealthy habits that people in the Asia Pacific region want to break in the next year.
Findings from Herbalife Nutrition's Asia Pacific Personal Habits Survey showed that eight out of 10 consumers in the region want to kick out such habits developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study also found that poorer stamina or fitness levels, excess weight gain, and a weaker immune system were the most common negative impacts resulting from these unhealthy lifestyle habits.
Excess weight gain in particular was attributed to consuming too much unhealthy food, stress binge-eating, lack of sleep, and more frequent alcohol consumption.
As such, respondents plan to adopt healthier lifestyly habits like being more consciously active, eating more nutritious foods, developing an exercise regime, beginning a regular sleep schedule, finding ways to destress, and taking nutritional supplements.
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