Study: Morning light can help reduce body fat
By Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times
To maximize your chances of fighting flab, new research offers some simple advice: Wake up early and go outside.
People who loaded up on light exposure at the beginning of the day were most likely to have a lower body mass index, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE. That relationship between morning light and BMI was independent of how many calories the study participants consumed.
It may sound crazy, but there is sound scientific evidence to back up the link. Circadian rhythm plays an important role in regulating metabolism, and studies have shown that exposure to morning light can influence body fat and the hormones that regulate appetite.