(13-04-11) Less stress, better sleep may help you lose weight

By Steven Reinberg,

If you're looking to lose those extra pounds, you should probably add reducing
stress and getting the right amount of sleep to the list, say researchers from
Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research in Portland.


By Hemera Technologies, www.jupiterimages.com
The right amount of sleep and stress reduction at the start of the trial
predicted successful weight loss.
Enlarge
By Hemera Technologies, www.jupiterimages.com
The right amount of sleep and stress reduction at the start of the trial
predicted successful weight loss.
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In fact, although diet and exercise are the usual prescription for dropping
pounds, high stress and too little sleep (or too much of it) can hinder weight
loss even when people are on a diet, the researchers report.
"We found that people who got more than six but less than eight hours of
sleep, and who reported the lowest levels of stress, had the most success in a
weight-loss program," said study author Dr. Charles Elder.
Elder speculates if you are sleeping less or more than recommended and if your
stress levels are high, you will not be able to focus on making behavioral
changes.
These factors may also have a biological impact, he added.
"If you want to lose weight, things that will help you include reducing stress
and getting the right amount of sleep," Elder said.
The report, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, is published in
the March 29 online edition of the International Journal of Obesity.
In this two-step trial, 472 obese adults were first counseled about lifestyle
changes over a 26-week period. Recommendations included cutting 500 calories a
day, eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains by following the
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet approach, and exercising at
least three hours a week.
In addition, the researchers asked the participants questions about sleep
time, depression, insomnia, screen time and stress.
During this part of the trial, the participants lost an average of almost 14
pounds. The 60% of the participants who lost at least 10 pounds went on to take
part in the next phase of the trial. Those in the second phase of the trial
continued their diet and exercise program.
Elder's team found the right amount of sleep and stress reduction at the start
of the trial predicted successful weight loss. Lower stress by itself predicted
more weight loss during the first phase of the trial, they added.
Declines in stress and depression were also important in continuing to lose
weight during both phases of the trial, as were exercise minutes and keeping
food diaries, Elder's group found.
Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale
University School of Medicine, said that "while we often tend to look at health
one condition at a time, the reality is that health is best viewed
holistically."
"People who are healthy and vital tend to be healthy and vital not because of
any one factor, but because of many. And the factors that promote health ?
eating well, being active, not smoking, sleeping enough, controlling stress, to
name a few ?promote all aspects of health," he added.
This study shows that people are more likely to lose weight when not impeded
by sleep deprivation, stress or depression, he said.
"Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight probably could have said much the
same from personal experience. Similarly, weight loss reduced stress and
depression. This, too, is suggested by sense and common experience, as it is
affirmed by the science reported here," Katz said.
The important message is that weight loss should not be looked at with tunnel
vision, Katz said.
"Improving sleep may be as important to lasting weight control efforts as
modifying diet or exercise. Managing stress is about physical health, as well
as mental health. This study encourages weight loss in a more holistic
context," he said.
Another study presented earlier this month at the American Heart Association
scientific sessions held in Atlanta found that people of normal weight eat more
when they sleep less.
Columbia University researchers discovered that sleep-deprived adults ate
almost 300 calories more a day on average than those who got enough sleep. And
the extra calories mostly came from saturated fat, which can spell trouble for
waistlines.
The researchers came to their conclusions ? which should be considered
preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal ? after following 13 men
and 13 women of normal weight. They monitored the eating habits of the
participants as they spent six days sleeping four hours a night and then six
days sleeping nine hours a night (or the reverse).
"If sustained, the dietary choices made by people undergoing short sleep could
predispose them to obesity and increased risk of cardiovascular disease," the
researchers wrote in an American Heart Association news release.

Source: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/

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In evidenza

"L'informazione presente nel sito serve a migliorare, e non a sostituire, il rapporto medico-paziente."

Per coloro che hanno problemi di salute si consiglia di consultare sempre il proprio medico curante.