Is exposure to light linked with children’s weight gain?
A new study from the Queensland University of Technology suggests that increased light exposure may play a role in the weight of children. They found that moderate intensity light exposure early in the day was associated with an increased BMI, whilst increased duration of light exposure was also associated with increased BMI 12 months later. The study involved 48 children from ages 3-5 and followed them over a 12-month period. The researchers hypothesised that the increased amount of artificial light that modern day children are exposed to, via phones, tablets and television, might have effects on their metabolism, as this increasing exposure has accompanied an increase in global childhood obesity.
Cassandra Pattinson, the study’s lead author, explained that the timing, intensity and duration of light exposure (both artificial and natural) were already known to have an effect on the ‘circadian rhythm’. This is also known as our internal body clock, and impacts on sleep patterns, metabolism, hormonal changes and weight changes. The researchers hope that the study may pave the way for more exploration about the impact of light on the weight of children and how this knowledge can be used against childhood obesity.
