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Three temporal cycles shape our lives. Our biological clock ensuresthat fundamental physiological processes oscillate with a period ofapproximately 24 hours. This internal timekeeper used the dailysuccession of light and dark to synchronize to the 24-hour day onour planet. Our social clock, on the other hand, often takes littleor no heed of our natural needs and biological rhythms. The beat ofthe social clock is determined by the demands of our work schedulesand other extraneous timetables, and its timekeeper is the trill ofthe alarm clock. "Our surveys suggest that in Western societies two thirds ofthe population are burdened with a significant discrepancy betweentheir internal time and the demands imposed by school and workschedules and leisure stress," says LMU chronobiologistProfessor Till Roenneberg, who coined the term "socialjetlag" to describe the phenomenon. If the rhythms dictated byour lifestyles are persistently out of phase with our biologicalclock, the risk of illness, such as high blood pressure and evencancer, rises. Tired -- around the clock A team of researchers led by Roenneberghas now shown that social jetlag also contributes to anothergrowing health problem, particularly in countries with a Westernlifestyle -- obesity. Individuals who are overweight are atincreased risk for serious metabolic diseases, such as diabetes.Many factors, in addition to excessive consumption of energy-richfoods, play a role in the development of obesity, and one of themis a lack of sleep. In persons who get too little sleep, theperception of hunger is perturbed, often leading to overeating. And it is not just sleep duration that is important here. The LMUteam has also found that social jetlag shows a significantassociation with increased body-mass index (BMI). The BMI, which isbased on a quantitative relationship between weight and height, isused as a measure of body fat, and varies depending on age and sex.Individuals with BMIs above the normal range are regarded as beingoverweight or obese. The results of the new study strongly indicatethat a lifestyle that conflicts with our internal physiologicalrhythms can promote the development of obesity. Moreover, it appears that the incidence of social jetlag is itselfincreasing, perhaps as a consequence of a general reduction insleep duration."The ongoing debate on the usefulness ofdaylight-saving time (DST) should take note of our findings,"remarks Roenneberg. "Just like conventional school and workschedules, DST disrupts our biological clock and subjects us tomore social jetlag with all its consequences." The data used in the new epidemiological study are based onresponses to a standardized set of questions, known as the MunichChronoType Questionnaire. This is freely available on the internet,and more than 130,000 people have already filled it out, providingdetailed information on their sleeping patterns and other aspectsof their normal lifestyles on working days and on weekends.(suwe). I am an expert from highbaylightfittings.com, while we provides the quality product, such as RGB Led Floodlight , Wall Washer Led Lights Manufacturer, LED Ceiling Light Fittings,and more.
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