Teenagers with poor sleeping patterns ‘more likely to become obese’

Research carried out in the US has shown that teenagers who do not get enough sleep are more likely to become obese in later life.

The study from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Public Health was the first to examine the effect of sleeplessness on obesity in teenagers over time.

Analysing health information from more than 10,000 teens and young adults, it was noted that one-fifth were getting less than six hours of sleep nightly.This group was 20 percent more likely to be obese by age 21, compared to those who got more than eight hours of sleep a night.

It was also noted that it is much harder to lose weight and keep it off once teenagers have become adults.

Shakira Suglia, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Mailman School, said: "The message for parents is to make sure their teenagers get more than eight hours a night. A good night's sleep does more than help them stay alert in school – it helps them grow into healthy adults."

It is estimated that around one in every four adults in the UK is obese, while the figure stands at one in every five among children.