The Light Might Make You Heavy

Rambo Tribble writes: "Writing in the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers have found that sleeping with high ambient light levels may contribute to obesity (abstract). In a survey of 113,000 women, a high correlation was found between higher bedroom light levels and increased propensity to be overweight or obese. Excess light in the sleeping environment has long been known to adversely affect melatonin production and circadian rhythms. It is posited that such an interference with the 'body clock' may be behind these results. Although there is not yet enough evidence to call this a smoking gun, as one researcher put it, 'Overall this study points to the importance of darkness.'"

Comments

Just look at Anakin

[physicsphairy]

Anakin Skywalker spent a lot of time with the dark side and look how much body mass he was able to lose.

Re:Or maybe, you know...

[gstoddart]

Next up, the new diet craze for lazy people. Blackout blinds.

It doesn't work, but I do get a better sleep. ;-)

Re:I knew it! It's those damn blue LEDs!

[pslytely psycho]

"give me an option to turn them off completely."

Black nail polish.
Or black electrical tape if you don't want to permanently black them out.

Discovery solves a related mystery

[idontgno]

This breakthrough finding also explains why photography adds 10 pounds to its subjects. Flash photography, probably even more.