Getting up early could help with slimming

Getting up early each morning could boost your chances of slimming, as well as potentially making you happier and less stressed.

A new study from Roehampton University asked more than 1,000 people about their sleeping habits, how they eat, how their health is and whether they often feel anxious.

The research discovered that there were two different groups of respondents; morning people who rise before 7am during the week and before 8am at the weekends; and evening people, who stay in bed until just before 9am during the working week and after 10am on Saturdays and Sundays.

It was found that morning people are likely to be slimmer and less anxious than their night owl counterparts, as well as being more inclined to eat breakfast, something that is classed as leading to better eating habits.

Lead author Dr Joerg Huber said: “Morning people tend to be healthier and happier, as well as having lower body mass indices.”

If you are thinking of transforming yourself into a lark, you may need to go to bed earlier though.

Jim Hill from the American Society for Nutrition recently told the Washington Post that people who deprive themselves of sleep are at risk of consuming 300 extra calories a day.

Are you an evening person who struggles to stay slim?