Recent study explodes the stereotypical myth, which stated that in order to reduce childhood obesity kids must be subjected to right and healthy eating along with being physically active. Lately, a study has postulated that children who consume considerably more time in sleeping are less likely to be overweight.
Sleeping an extra hour, a night lessens the chances of being overweight from 36% to 30% in young children, and from 34% to 30% in older children.
The findings were based on more than 2,000 children. The kids were ages of 3 to 12 at the start of the study and follow-up information was collected five years later. Parents and the children were given time diaries to record sleep information, such as the total number of hours the child slept, bedtimes, and wake times.
The study concluded that children who slept less, went to bed later, or got up earlier during the first assessment had higher body mass index five years later and were more likely to be overweight.
The research also showed that a later bedtime had a greater effect on whether children aged 3 to 8 became overweight, while earlier wake times played a greater role for children aged 8 to 13.
Hence, to reduce obesity, children would be encouraged to sleep more. Hmm… very interesting!
[Source:ilovemybaby]
