‘Social Jet Lag’ Can Figure Into Obesity
As many working people and students can attest, the sound of the alarm clock in the morning can mean an unpleasant jolt out of a nice deep sleep. And disrupting the body’s internal clock in this way can lead to a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese, according to a new European study published in the journal Current Biology.
Led by Till Roenneberg at the University of Munich, the study evaluated the relationship between social jet lag — which the researchers describe as the discrepancy between one’s internal and social clocks — and body mass index. The researchers found that those who disrupted their biological rhythms, which are determined in part by genetics, had a greater chance of not only becoming overweight or obese but also more likely to smoke and drink more alcohol and caffeinated beverages.