Too little sleep can make you fat!

Some people are proud to say they don't need to sleep for more than a minimum number of hours each night and they can survive with no ill-effects. However, a lack of sleep, on a regular basis, can lead to a state of sleep deprivation.

Often when you are awake and active you will feel the need to eat. This practice, over an extended period, will lead to an increase in body fat.

Ghrelin

Research has shown that two hormones are responsible for the increased food intake during sleep deprivation. The first is ghrelin which is produced in the gut among other places in the body.

Ghrelin's primary role is to stimulate the appetite causing you to desire food, eat and therefore increase your energy level. When there is sleep deprivation this hormone production increases, causing you to desire and consume more food, and over time, can lead to increased body fat.

Leptin

Another hormone in this complex situation is leptin which is produced by fat cells in the body. Its function is to signal when you are full. When there is sleep deprivation, the production of leptin decreases and so your fullness signal is not as sharp.

Sleep deprivation has also been shown to increase stress hormones in the body as well as insulin resistance, which is a risk factor for type-two diabetes.

So this is one more arsenal in your fight for health and well-being - adequate sleep. The reduction of body fat can be helped by getting adequate sleep of seven to eight hours each night. This, in addition to a healthy varied diet and regular exercise, will prevent excess body fat.

Overweight not only increases the risk for diabetes but for hypertension, cancers and many chronic non-communicable diseases. These diseases affect adults in their most productive years and are often debilitating and very costly to manage. So get your ZZZs on.

Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.