Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, Diabetes

"Therefore, consideration of the dynamics of clock function across temporally distinct phases of the day/night cycle, and within different tissues as the cycle progresses, may also explain obesity and metabolic pathologies that emerge in states of circadian disruption including shift work and night eating." Nature 29 July 466 p630.

I've had a lot to say about depression and daylight saving time. In the far north the phenomena is accentuated. Disruption of circadian rhythms causing Jet Lag; few would doubt. Prolonged disruption, as in daylight savings time, may also be a not so subtle contributor to obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. The problem of obesity has been with us for a long time; however, the rapid increase in incidence seems to coincide with the initiation of expanded daylight saving time from early spring to late fall. (Pure conjecture)

One has to ask just how much daylight savings helps with the energy crisis or the war, and is it worth interfering with the biological clock? Is DST a contributor to the world wide epidemic of obesity and diabetes? We need studies.

Where I live, we are already an hour out of our natural time zone, sun time, and the addition of daylight saving time makes it two hours. Indeed there is a local prevalence of obesity and diabetes. Studies are needed, but how long should we wait, considering the risk and the human cost of a work schedule out of sync with our internal clock.

In the meantime take your vitamine D.