[excerpt] The most recent part of the study focused on sleep habits. People were asked about how many hours they sleep on a typical worknight, alcohol consumption and snoring. The largest group of participants reported sleeping between seven and eight hours per night. Researchers noticed the people with the least sleep, under six hours per night, had the highest BMI numbers.
Not everyone is sold on the idea of sleep as an aid in weight control.
“Are the increases in BMI and people sleeping less directly related? Probably not,” said Dr. Jim Merchant, dean of the university’s college of public health. “But our findings are provocative. They stimulate additional research and raise concern that this is a problem in rural America where obesity rates are higher.”
Obesity is a rural health concern. If there is a link between sleep and weight, it could be particularly pronounced in rural areas, where farmers frequently get up before dawn.
Doctors say obesity is linked to a long list of health problems, including high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke. It is also tied to obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which people repeatedly stop breathing during sleep. Some have suggested obstructive sleep apnea contributed to the death of former NFL lineman Reggie White.
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