Tuesday 20 August 2013

New research discovers a link between sleep and obesity

This following post has been taken from an article published in PRWeb (www.prweb.com) in which the National Council for Hypnotherapy responds and supports that hypnotherapy can be useful in assessing anxiety and the root cause of it when related to weight.

Earlier this month, researchers from the University of California have published some new research which has found that a lack of sleep can cause substantial changes in brain activity which can then cause cravings for high-calorie food.

The researchers used brain imaging techniques to study the responses of sleep-deprived people while they showed them images of both low and high calorie foods. The results of this research showed that tired people had higher brain activity in areas associated with the motivation to eat. However there was less activity in the areas that encourage us to choose health food, which is why people often have an increased desire for high calorie treats when they’re tired.

The journal 'Nature Communications' published this new research which also backs up other studies conducted which have shown that poor sleep actually increases the levels of hormones linked to weight gain. People crave sugary and fatty foods as they struggle with a lack of concentration and tiredness.

So what does this mean for people who are trying to lose weight? Both findings suggest that simply getting a solid eight hours sleep a night COULD help people stay in shape. And if you are finding it tough to stick to a healthy eating plan or have problems with portion control, you could combine a good nights sleep with some hypnotherapy to give your motivation a boost in the right direction.

To view the full article, please click here: http://www.express.co.uk/news/health/420233/Lack-of-sleep-can-lead-to-obesity