Saving Energy Helps You Lose Weight
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Please excuse the sensationalist title, but it was just too good to pass up, and oddly true at the same time. Research into the links between the increase in weight and the warming temperature of our homes has resulted in some startling news- Warmer homes contribute to weight gain.
Now before you turn your house into a meat locker, you ought to know that small changes can have an effect. Just turning down the thermostat a few degrees can not only boost your energy savings, but also help shed ‘brown fat’, which lingers around the necks of adults.
The research focused around 1500 adults and found that over a six year period, those who kept their home temperature warmer (in the top third of the group), were twice as likely to become obese. To think that for every degree (F) you lower your thermostat below 68, you will save 3-5% off your heating costs.
That means, if you currently keep your home’s thermostat at 70 degrees F, and you were to lower it down to 65 degrees, you could potentially reduce your heating costs by 25%! That’s huge! And just think of the pounds you will be shedding at the same time.
Study Articles:
International Journal of Obesity – Contributors to the obesity and hyperglycemia epidemics. A prospective study in a population-based cohort.
Obesity Reviews – Could increased time spent in a thermal comfort zone contribute to population increases in obesity?
[via NewScientist]
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I’m sure that in tropical countries, the case will be different. I’m not sure about this but it would be an interesting topic to delve on.