Study: lack of sleep contributes to weight gain

The New York Times (8/6, O'Connor, 1.68M) “Well” blog reported that according to the results of a 23-participant study published in the journal Nature Communications, sleep deprivation may result in weight gain, creating “pronounced changes” in the way high-calorie foods are perceived by the brain. Magnetic resonance imaging scans taken during the study indicated that lack of sleep impaired the area of the brain in charge of complex decision-making while increasing activity in reward-focused areas.

        Also covering the story are the Huffington Post (8/7, Wilkey), the San Francisco Business Times (8/6, Brown, Subscription Publication), and AFP (8/6).