Poor sleep may hinder attempts to maintain weight loss, study finds

It has been suggested that poor sleep may undermine attempts to lose weight.

Millions of overweight or obese people lose weight every year. Many face a struggle to keep the weight off.

The results of a trial conducted by the University of Copenhagen suggest that better sleep patterns can help keep the weight off.

It is well known that not getting enough sleep increases the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and fatty deposits in the arteries.

Not getting enough sleep has been linked to a number of diseases. Poor sleep may be a factor in regaining weight.

195 obese adults who were between the ages of 18 and 65 lost an average of 12% of their body weight on a very low-cal diet for eight weeks.

They were tracked for a year. Their sleep duration and sleep quality were measured with the Pittsburgh sleep quality index, a self-rated questionnaire.

After a year, those who slept for less than six hours a night increased their body mass index by 1.3 points compared with those who slept for more than six hours.

After a year, the body mass index for those who had poor quality sleep increased by 1.2 points compared with those who had a good night's sleep. The study was observational and could not prove that poor sleep caused weight changes, but the authors said it was likely to contribute.

The link between sleep health and weight loss maintenance is important since many of us don't get the recommended amount of sleep needed for optimal health and functioning.

More than a third of adults in the UK and the US don't get enough sleep due to a host of factors including stress, computers, smart devices and the blurring of work-life boundaries.

Two hours of vigorous physical activity a week can help maintain better sleep.

Future research on ways to improve sleep in obese people will be an important next step.

A study presented at the conference found that if the average man was not overweight, more than 1,300 deaths from prostrate cancer in the UK could be prevented every year.

The UK Biobank study suggests that men should try to maintain a healthy weight.

The lead of the study said that knowing more about factors that increase the risk of cancer is important.

A third study presented at the conference found that almost a quarter of obese teenagers don't know they're fat.