Is There a Link Between Obesity and Light?

by Isabella Dutta
June 4, 2014

Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research in London found that there was a positive correlation between the length of women’s waistlines and the amount of light in their bedroom at night. Women had larger waistlines if, during the night, it was light enough to see across the room. Despite this apparent association between reported light exposure at night and obesity, the evidence is not yet sufficient to make the argument that darkening the room at night makes a difference to a person’s weight.

While researchers continue their search for factors that might influence their findings, for now the intrigue is around circadian rhythms and the possible disruption to the body clock if we spend our nights sleeping in a lightened room. Future ramifications of this study might even affect our understanding of the environmental, genetic and lifestyle factors that determine the likelihood of a diagnosis of breast cancer, given the fact that obesity is one of the known risk factors.

Source: BBC News
30th May, 2014