Summer barbecues and late-night drinks are a seasonal must for some people, but experts warn they can have a negative impact on the body’s internal clock, putting some at risk for weight gain.
The body clock, known as the circadian rhythm, controls all of our bodily functions in a 24-hour period, says Andrea D’Ambrosio, a registered dietitian in the GTA.
Losing just a few hours of sleep a night can lead to weight gain, a new study has shown, and effects can be seen after only a week’s worth of bad rest.
The findings, published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, outline the connection between insufficient sleep and overeating.
But daily tasks, such as staying up late, eating and drinking at later times in the evening — often a result of summer social outings — throw off this clock.
“Any time you’re up later and you’re out in a social environment, there are opportunities to indulge in things we do as humans,” says Nick Bellissimo, an assistant professor of nutrition at Ryerson University. “That’s more eating, more drinking, more drinking alcohol.”
As a result of this, the biological clock needs to adjust to circumstances that are out of routine. Not only that, but eating and being awake later into the evening influences people to make poor food choices.
‘Some foods are much more alluring during different hours of the evening’
“Some foods are much more alluring during different hours of the evening,” says D’Ambrosio, adding the irregularity of eating meals later than a person normally would puts you at risk for more weight gain.
Staying up late in social settings can also result in lack of sleep, another factor that not only throws off the circadian rhythm, but also promotes weight gain.
“Sleep deprivation will increase your stress hormone level, it will increase hunger and cravings,” says Dr. Arya Sharma, a professor of medicine and chair of obesity research at the University of Alberta. “That makes things like managing your weight, appetite, eating properly or being physically active more challenging and difficult. Normally, there’s a fixed cycle and normally these things don’t change from day to day.”
This doesn’t mean what little summertime weather we have in Canada shouldn’t be spent staying out late and enjoying outdoor patios. D’Ambrosio says people should just keep in mind their regular routine.
“I think the most important thing is to try and stay in tune with your internal clock,” she says. “This would be having regular and consistent bedtime as much as possible. If you’re going out, try to make it a little bit earlier.”
‘The consumption of alcohol tends to open people’s appetites’
And when you do go out, be mindful of the kind of calories you are consuming.
“The consumption of alcohol tends to open people’s appetites,” Bellissimo says. “Plus, it packs a certain number of calories.”
“The flipside of that, well, summer also provides opportunities to get out and burn more calories.”