A new study has revealed that a beer belly is not only caused by poor diet and lack of exercise, but also by poor sleep. According to the World Health Organization, obesity and overweight have already reached epidemic proportions in Europe. Older men, in particular, tend to have a firm and round accumulation of fat in the abdominal area, commonly known as a beer belly. The study, published in the journal Sleep Medicine, is based on health data from over 5,000 women and men who participated in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2011 and 2014. The study found that lack of sleep leads to an increase in visceral fat, which is the type of fat that accumulates in the abdominal cavity and is considered particularly harmful to health.
The study also found that lack of sleep disrupts certain regulatory mechanisms in the brain, including the reward center and a region that controls appetite and sleep. People who sleep less than eight hours a night tend to accumulate fat in the abdominal area and experience different inflammatory processes in the body. Additionally, lack of sleep leads to a decrease in the hormone leptin, which causes a pleasant feeling of satiety, and an increase in the hormone ghrelin, which signals hunger to the brain. This disruption of eating and sleeping patterns can lead to a long-term state where a beer belly becomes the norm.
The study highlights the importance of getting enough sleep to maintain a healthy weight and avoid the accumulation of visceral fat. Experts recommend getting at least seven hours of sleep per night to promote overall health and well-being. The findings of this study can help individuals make lifestyle changes that promote better sleep and overall health.
