What if someone told you that a lightbulb could have as a much of an effect on your weight as a candy bar or slice of cake?
While your bedside reading lamps may not taste as good as a piece whiskey cake drizzled in toffee sauce, they can be equally as fattening. Recent research has shown that light can affect your weight in different ways. Lighting, health and psychology experts have time and again shown lighting conditions can affect our mood, which can then spiral into physical effects.
Of course, this information doesn’t necessarily mean flicking the switch on your floor reading lamps is more effective than a mix of diet and physical exercise for losing weight. However, it does provide another dimension to consider when working to shed the pounds or stay in shape to maintain a healthy weight.
The benefits of a morning jog
Some people like to exercise in the early hours of the day to sweat off a few calories before work or beat the after rush hour crowd at the gym. In addition to providing a more comfortable exercise environment or getting in shape at the start of the day, morning exposure to bright light can be beneficial for weight management. A study by researchers at Northwestern Medicine found that people who had exposure to bright light early in the day – even at moderate levels – had a noticeably lower body mass index than that those whose exposure was limited to the latter hours of the day.
“Light is the most potent agent to synchronize your internal body clock that regulates circadian rhythms, which in turn also regulate energy balance,” said study senior author Phyllis Zee. “The message is that you should get more bright light between 8 a.m. and noon.”
Zee and the other researchers discovered that even as little as 20 to 30 minutes of bright light exposure in the morning was enough to affect BMI. She said that the cause is usually circadian disruption, which can slow your metabolism.
Is light the new diet pill?
Kathryn Reid, co-lead author and research associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said that light may soon become another significant factor in weight management.
“Light is a modifiable factor with the potential to be used in weight management programs,” Reid said. “Just like people are trying to get more sleep to help them lose weight, perhaps manipulating light is another way to lose weight.”
Her prediction may not be far off, as a separate study by researchers at Cornell University in New York found that eating under dim light is correlated with shorter eating times and smaller calorie consumption. By placing some participants in a relaxed eating environment similar to a fine dining establishment and others in more chaotic setting similar to a fast food restaurant, researchers Brian Wansink and Koert Van Ittersum were able to determine that the former setting encouraged participants to enjoy their food rather than shoveling it down.
Slim fast or dim fast?
Without a doubt, the research around light and weight management is groundbreaking. However, it should be noted that adjusting the bright table lamp in your home isn’t a comprehensive solution for shedding the pounds. In fact, the researchers of the second study suggested that individuals who want to lose weight eat more slowly to recognize when they begin to feel full rather than stuffing themselves beyond capacity.
Light is simply another factor to watch and consider. Much like genetics, a diet and exercise habits don’t tell the entire picture without working together, light is a only a small piece. With that said, it is still important to regulate your exposure to light and do what you can to properly regulate your circadian clock.
