Welcome to the first edition of our biweekly newsletter, where I will be discussing the health and wellness challenges faced by people who work the night shift. My name is Dr. Yel’ora and I am a Lifestyle & Obesity Coach for night shift workers. In this edition, I will be focusing on obesity and its relationship to metabolic syndrome, which includes Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, and heart disease.

The dangers of obesity for night shift workers

Studies have shown that night shift workers have almost three times the association with abdominal obesity, independent of age and gender, then day shift workers.  A recent study found that the overall risk of being overweight or obese from working the night shift is 23% higher. Shift workers also have a 35% higher risk of developing abdominal obesity (“belly fat”), which is especially associated with heart disease. The analysis also found that those who worked the night shift permanently were at a 29% greater risk of abdominal obesity than those who worked rotating shifts.

The role of metabolic syndrome

Obesity has been linked to several adverse health outcomes, such as breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, followed by cancer. Diabetes, which is also strongly associated with obesity, is the seventh leading cause of death.

Alternative measures of adiposity

Did you know that the Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR) is a better alternative measure of adiposity than the Body Mass Index (BMI)? I reviewed a recent medical article which proposed that Waist-Hip ratio beats BMI for predicting mortality risk. There is a lot of new evidence that shows alternative metrics for measuring adiposity than the Body Mass Index (BMI).

In the study, a direct comparison of waist-hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI) and fat mass index (FMI) showed that WHR had the strongest and most consistent relationship to all-cause death, compared to the other two measures. This suggests that we, as clinicians, should pay more attention to adiposity distribution than we do to BMI when prioritizing obesity interventions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, working the night shift poses unique health and wellness challenges, particularly when it comes to obesity and its related health issues. By understanding the risks and alternative measures of adiposity, we can take steps to improve our overall health and well-being. I hope you found this post helpful, and I encourage you to share it with your friends.

 Never Lackluster, we are rooting for a Better You!

Best,

Dr. Yel’Ora | #DYLOC