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Monday, May 10, 2010

For Teen Boys, Sleep Essential to Staying Slim

Teenage boys who get insufficient sleep are at risk of becoming overweight or obese, according to a new study from Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute.

  • Dr. Leslie Lytle studied 723 teenagers in terms of their sleep habits, heights and weights, risk for depression, physical activity levels, and socio-economic backgrounds.
  • Boys who got fewer than eight and a half to nine hours of sleep were at higher risk for overweight and obesity, but there was little association between weight and sleep for girls.

"Maybe girls are better equipped to deal with environmental stress," said Dr. Lytle. "They just biologically respond differently."

This study was presented at a meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies.
 

Labels: sleep, boys, teenagers

Posted By: Jane St. Clair

Comments:

Chelsea on 10/18/2010
Another benefit to starting the school day later is that it limits how long parents have to worry about arranging after school child care for those who need it.
former_teacher on 5/14/2010
Looks like yet another reason that schools should consider starting later in the day. I realize that the logistics of moving the school day back can be a challenge, but it seems like there are so many benefits to starting the school day later that more schools should consider it.