Behavioral and social routines and biological rhythms in prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity.

Abstract

A growing body of research supports the potential importance of behavioral and social routines for children's health promotion and obesity risk reduction. Evidence in support of this comes from multiple lines of research, which suggest that specific behavioral routines, namely eating and sleep routines, may be protective against excessive weight gain and development of pediatric obesity. From a circadian perspective, alignment of behavioral and social routines with underlying circadian rhythms may be particularly important for enhancing children's weight regulation. Engaging in appropriately timed behavioral and social routines may serve to entrain circadian rhythms that affect metabolism and weight regulation. Thus, in addition to promoting healthier eating, activity, and sleep behaviors for prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity, it may also be important to consider promotion of consistency in and optimal timing of these behaviors in an effort to enhance extant prevention and treatment approaches.

Beyond sleep duration: Sleep timing as a risk factor for childhood obesity

“…A discrepancy between actual sleep timing and circadian rhythms may result in alterations in metabolic processes, that in the long run may have a negative effect on weight status. 23,24 In the current study, screen time was associated with higher BMI Cross-sectional studies have contradicted each other with positive, 11,14 negative 25 and no significant findings. 2 The majority of studies on this topic find that both shorter sleep duration and later sleep timing are associated with more screen time.…”

“…It is also possible that having a late sleep timing results in being awake when the internal circadian timing system favours sleep. A discrepancy between actual sleep timing and circadian rhythms may result in alterations in metabolic processes, that in the long run may have a negative effect on weight status 23,24 …”

“…6,10,12,[18][19][20][21] Both biological and behavioural causes of weight gain seem to be associated with delayed and shifted sleep timing, but there is dearth of knowledge regarding our understanding of these associations. 16,22,23 It is possible that mistiming of sleep promotes circadian misalignment and, eventually, increases risk of developing obesity. 23,24 Therefore, a focus on alignment of sleep timing with underlying circadian rhythms could enhance paediatric obesity prevention and treatment.…”

“…23,24 Therefore, a focus on alignment of sleep timing with underlying circadian rhythms could enhance paediatric obesity prevention and treatment. 23 Only a handful of previous studies have so far used objective sleep measures to investigate the sleep-obesity relationship. 14,17,20,25 Subjective sleep measures are associated with various biases, [26][27][28] therefore, more studies using objective sleep measures in a natural home environment, such as accelerometers, are needed.…”

Severe paediatric obesity and sleep: A mutual interactive relationship!

“…In addition to management strategies focused on obesity, attention should be given to obtaining adequate sleep. Similar to the aforementioned eating routines, sleep routines, especially those with a circadian pattern, can help assure appropriate sleep, and appeal to the interaction between sleep and obesity (Hart, Hawley, & Wing, 2016; Hart, Jelalian, & Raynor, 2020). Tan, Healey, Gray, and Galland (2012) found sleep hygiene with emphasis on controlling food intake, emotions, routine, activity restriction, environment and timing to show improvement in sleep quality and BMI.…”