Daylight Savings: Falling Forward Instead Of Back Could Lower Child Obesity Rate Researchers Say
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— This year Daylight Saving Time ends on November 2nd at 2:00 am and the clocks will turn back one hour, but some researchers say falling forward would lower children's obesity rate.
While most people love getting that extra hour to sleep in, many parents aren't afforded that luxury because their kids are still used to the pre-time change schedule.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said if we were to move the clocks forward instead of an hour back in the fall, we could lower childhood obesity.
Researchers Say Falling Forward Instead Of Back Would Lower Children's Obesity Rate
"We found in our study that every additional hour of evening daylight boosted children's physical activity by about five percent," the study's lead author Dr. Anna Goodman explained.
The conclusion came after a study of 20,000 kids where they wore accelerometers, a device fastened around their waists to measure body movement, during all their waking hours.
She said when the clocks rolled back, children's whose devices registered plenty of activity suddenly slowed.
"Physical activity is important for children's health in lots of ways. Although five percent is not massive, it's not the one solution. It's enough to be a step in the right direction," Goodman said.
She said the study proves the value of extending daylight into evening if we want to lower childhood obesity rates.
