Children who don’t get a good night’s rest are more likely to put fat on around their mid-sections, even if they are on a healthy diet.

A study carried out by the University of Copenhagen discovered the link between insufficient sleep and obesity.

Researchers tracked 530 school children over a three-month period during which they ate meals using Nordic ingredients that were prepared by the school.

Less sleep = more weight
“Children who slept less gained weight,” Mads Fiil Hjorth, an assistant professor at the Institute of Sports Science and Nutrition at the University of Copenhagen, told DR Nyheder.

“Those who got enough sleep usually did not gain weight.”

Stress a factor?
Hjorth said there could have been other reasons, including stress, that cause children to sleep too little and to gain weight.

Hjorth intends to carry out further studies on the link between sleep and health.