NOT getting enough sleep? It could be to blame for those extra kilos.
A new study from Sweden's Uppsala University has highlighted how sleep deprivation affects weight gain.
Researcher Christian Benedict and his team conducted a number of studies to see how loss of sleep influenced decisions about food and exercise.
They found sleep deprived participants preferred larger food portions, more calories, showed signs of increased food-related impulsivity, experience more pleasure from food and expended less energy through exercise.
Physiologically, these participants also showed changes in hormones that promote fullness and altered the balance of gut bacteria, considered to be a factor in maintaining a healthy metabolism.
"Since perturbed sleep is such a common feature of modern life, these studies show it is no surprise that metabolic disorders, such as obesity, are also on the rise," Dr Benedict said.
"It may also be concluded that improving sleep could be a promising lifestyle intervention to reduce the risk of future weight gain.
The team's research was presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Lisbon this week.
