Inadequate sleep leads to weight gain

Recent studies have suggested that inadequate amounts of sleep may lead to weight gain, obesity, and even an increased risk of developing diabetes. Read on to know more.

Sleep wrong and you will pile on pounds, for a new study has found that too much or too little shut-eye helps putting on weight - and it is the worst kind of fat.

Recent studies have suggested that inadequate amounts of sleep may lead to weight gain, obesity, and even an raised risk of developing diabetes.

Now, an international team, led by Wake Forest University, has carried out the study and found a clear link between sleep and getting fat - more or less shut-eye both are harmful, the New Scientist reported.

For the study, researchers monitored 1100 African and Hispanic Americans for a period of five years. Both groups are at a high risk of obesity-related disorders.

People under 40 gained 1.8 kilogrammes more on average if they got less than 5 hours of sleep per night than if they slept for 6 or 7 hours. Those regularly sleeping for more than 8 hours gained 0.8 kilogrammes more than the medium-sleep group, the study found.

CAT scans revealed increases in visceral fat, which accumulates around the internal organs and is particularly dangerous to health, according to Kristen Hairston, who led the study.