Research paper
St-Onge MP. Sleep-obesity relation: underlying mechanisms and consequences for treatment. Obesity Reviews. 2017 Feb;18 Suppl 1:34-39. doi:10.1111/obr.12499. PMID: 28164452.
Why we cite it
Review article in Obesity Reviews (supplement issue) synthesising evidence for a causal relationship between short sleep duration and obesity, moving beyond epidemiological associations to clinical intervention studies. Identifies three mechanistic pathways: (1) hormonal disruption — sleep restriction decreases leptin and increases ghrelin, driving hunger; (2) reward sensitivity — sleep restriction alters brain hedonic processing, making high-calorie foods more appealing; (3) food choice changes — sleep-restricted individuals select higher-calorie, higher-fat foods. Also discusses the paradox that sleep restriction slightly increases total energy expenditure (more time awake) but energy intake increases more, resulting in net positive energy balance. Concludes that weight management is hindered when attempted in the context of sleep restriction. Relevant to companion 405 (the-rested-one) as the mechanistic framework explaining why adequate sleep supports weight management.
About the author
Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, CCSH, FAHA, is Associate Professor of Nutritional Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Founding Director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep and Circadian Research. PhD in Human Nutrition from McGill University. ~170 peer-reviewed publications. Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA). NHLBI Outstanding Investigator Award recipient. Chaired the first AHA Scientific Statement on sleep and cardiometabolic health (2016). Research focuses on the intersection of sleep, nutrition, and cardiometabolic health — one of the leading researchers bridging the sleep and obesity fields. Also co-author of cbm06 (St-Onge & Gallagher 2010) in this project.