obese men •

The scientists have found a link between sleep disorder and obesity in teens. But they say, sleep affects teen girls and teen boys differently.

According to the researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand, teenage boys who sleep less have more body fats but lack of sleep has no discernible effect on girls’ body fat ratios.

“Our study suggests that for older teenage boys, making sure that they get adequate sleep may help to maintain a healthier body. It seems to be that, within reason, the more (sleep) the better for boys, “ said Lead researcher Dr Paula Skidmore.

Study

During the study, researchers looked at the sleeping habits and height/weight/fat ratios in 386 boys and 299 girls in the age group 15 and 18-years.

An average-sized 16-year-old boy weighing 69.5 kg and measuring 176 cm in height, who slept for eight hours a day, would have a waist circumference that is 1.8 cm bigger, and would have 1.6 kg (9 percent) more body fat, compared to the same average-sized boy who slept 10 hours a day, the study found.

“The boys who slept eight hours a day would also have 1.8 kg more lean (bone and muscle) mass compared to the boys who slept ten hours, but that’s only a 1.4 percent increase, compared to the 9 percent increase seen in body fat,” Skidmore said.

Elaborating about the findings in the girls, she said, “It was unexpected that we did not find the same result in girls, who may actually be more aware of their diet and more in tune with a healthier lifestyle.”

The study was published in Nutrition Journal.

Alike binge drinking, binge eating is also not good for health, says a study.

But the scientists say binge eating affects men and women differently. Obese men who overeat that their female counterpart are more likely to have elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure, says the study.

According to the scientists, binge eating disorder is defined as repeated consumption of large quantities of food in a short period of time without some other compensatory activity like vomiting.
People with binge eating disorder also report feeling of a loss of control over their eating habits, says the researchers.

According to Tomoko Udo, lead author of the study, men are often misrepresented in the study of obesity and binge eating.

“People used to think binge eating was less common in men than women,” she said.

Study

The researchers carried study on 190 people of which 141 were women and another 49 were men. The participants were seeking treatment for obesity and binge eating disorder in a primary care setting.

Even after adjusting for race and body mass index, men were three times as likely to meet the criteria for metabolic syndrome, a condition that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The study group consisted of people who sought help with their weight, which may have a bearing on the higher incidence of metabolic syndrome seen in men, Udo said.

The study found few psychological differences between men and women with binge eating disorder.

Women were found more likely than men to become overweight earlier and to attempt dieting earlier and men were more likely to say that they engaged in strenuous physical activity in an attempt to lose weight.

The study was published in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry.

Sleep disorder affects teen girls and boys differently: Study

Binge eating disorder affects men and women differently

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