Weight Loss Tip: Lower Indoor Temperatures Can Lead To Slimmer Waists
If you turn off the heat in winter, your waist can get slimmer, according to a new study examining waist circumference in older adults. Hence, higher indoor temperatures are linked with larger waists and lower indoor temperatures to slimmer ones, according to lead researcher Dr. Keigo Saeki and his team.
The study is important as waist circumference is related to hypertension, heart disease and diabetes.
The cause of the slimming is thermogenesis, enabling the body to generate heat. The body heat generation in brown fat can help to burn calories. Hence, brown fat is related to higher metabolism and better blood sugar control.
"Although cold exposure may be a trigger of cardiovascular disease, our data suggest that safe and appropriate cold exposure may be an effective preventive measure against obesity," said Keigo Saeki of Nara Medical University School of Medicine Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Nara, Japan.
The HEIJO-KYO study was conducted on 1,103 people, who had an average age of 72. All the participants remained inside the home during the day. They took annual measurements of their abdominal, or waist, circumference from 2010 to 2014.
Saeki and his team also looked at the indoor temperatures of their homes for 48 hours in the winter. The average outside temperature on measurement days was 48 degrees Fahrenheit, or 8.7 degrees Celsius. The individuals who were part of the study were divided into four groups that were based on the average indoor temperatures.
Individuals in the lowest indoor temperature group were at 50 degrees Fahrenheit, or 10 degrees Celsius. They showed an average waist circumference of 32 inches, which was 1.4 inches smaller than those in the highest indoor temperature group, who measured 33.4 inches on average.
Other factors such as their age, sex, physical activity, total calorie intake and socioeconomic status were also recorded.
The study was presented at the Endocrine Society annual meeting in Boston.
