Getting Enough Sun Could Cut Obesity: Study Says

From lack of exercise to an inherited gene, British researchers have monitored almost everything that could be blamed for the country’s growing obesity epidemic. This time, picking up the most bizarre reason a research team from Aberdeen University suggest that the 'grey British weather' specifically a lack of sun may be the reason why dieters struggle to shed those extra pounds.

Overweight people have lower levels of vitamin D in their blood than slimmer counterparts, the researchers found.

Vitamin D also called the sunshine vitamin because the body makes all it needs with enough sunlight. Vitamin D is essential for bone health and may slow the progression of arthritis. It’s also believed to strengthen the immune systemdefine and possibly prevent many cancers.

Technically, a hormone, vitamin D is produced within the body when the skin is exposed to the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays in the sunlight. As the vitamin D levels in the blood trigger the functioning of a hormone leptin – which signals the brain when the stomach is full - depleted levels are known to interfere in the normal appetite control.

The research led by Dr Helen MacDonald, from Aberdeen University’s department of medicine and therapeutics along with his team monitored a little over 3100 post-menopausal women living in north-east Scotland for over a two-year period.

As a part of the study, women were required to fill questionnaires pertaining to their dietary intake, the amount of physical activity and their frequency of exposure to sunlight classed as seldom, occasionally or often.

Also each woman provided their blood samples for further assessment.

Women who had the highest BMI (body mass indexdefine) had the lowest levels of vitamin D in their blood.

"Obese people had less vitamin D and the link between obesity and vitamin D deficiency was statistically significant. It could be because people are not getting enough sunlight or that they do not go out much," MacDonald confirmed.

"There’s also the possibility that their vitamin D is locked into fat stores," he added.

Researchers suggest that people living at high latitude should go outside more often to get the requisite amount of vitamin D.