More sleep may raise obesity risk in children

Young people who do not sleep enough the regular rather overweight, has led to a new study. The researchers also found a lower BMI due to differences in body fat (not without effect on muscle mass, such as muscle), indicating that poor sleep has negative effects on body composition.

The study followed Rachael Taylor, Research Associate Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand and colleagues 244 children aged 3 to 7 years.

Were all six months, the weight of the children was measured height, BMI and body composition and sleeping and eating habits included. The children also wore accelerometers (devices that control body movement) rated their physical activity.

Other factors that are known to be associated with BMI in children have also taken into account, such as birth weight children and their mothers' education and income. The study, published online May 26 in the BMJ showed that children had an average of 11 hours of sleep per day.

However, more research is needed to determine whether more sleep or better sleeping patterns contribute to healthier children, they noted in a journal news release.