Potential Circadian and Circannual Rhythm Contributions to the Obesity Epidemic in Elementary School Age Children

Overview

Journal Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Nutritional Sciences
Orthopedics
Social Sciences

Date 2019 Mar 9

PMID 30845969

Citations 34

Authors

Jennette P Moreno

Stephanie J Crowley

Candice A Alfano

Kevin M Hannay

Debbe Thompson

Tom Baranowski

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Children gain weight at an accelerated rate during summer, contributing to increases in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in elementary-school children (i.e., approximately 5 to 11 years old in the US). Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 14:100, 2017 explained these changes with the "Structured Days Hypothesis" suggesting that environmental changes in structure between the school year and the summer months result in behavioral changes that ultimately lead to accelerated weight gain. The present article explores an alternative explanation, the circadian clock, including the effects of circannual changes and social demands (i.e., social timing resulting from societal demands such as school or work schedules), and implications for seasonal patterns of weight gain. We provide a model for understanding the role circadian and circannual rhythms may play in the development of child obesity, a framework for examining the intersection of behavioral and biological causes of obesity, and encouragement for future research into bio-behavioral causes of obesity in children.

Citing Articles

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The contribution of circadian clock to the biological processes.

Luo B, Song J, Zhang J, Han J, Zhou X, Chen L Front Mol Biosci. 2024; 11:1387576.

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Integrating wearable data into circadian models.

Hannay K, Moreno J Curr Opin Syst Biol. 2023; 22:32-38.

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The impact of dietary and sleep rhythms on blood pressure in children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

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