Teenage Boy eatingAccording to a study published in Nutrition Journalresearchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand found that teenage boys who sleep less have more body fat, yet a similarly lack of sleep revealed no identifiable effect on girls’ body fat ratios.

“Our study suggests that for older teenage boys, making sure that they get adequate sleep may help to maintain a healthier body,” said Dr Paula Skidmore, lead researcher for the study. “It seems to be that, within reason, the more (sleep) the better for boys.”

During the study, researchers registered the sleeping habits and height/weigh/fat ratios in 386 boys and 299 girls ages 15 to 18. What they found was that an average-sized 16-year-old boy weighing 69.5 kg and measuring 176 cm in height, who slept for eight hours a day, would have a waist circumference that is 1.8 cm bigger, compared to the same average-sized boy who slept 10 hours a day. What’s more, the boys who received less sleep have 1.6 kg (9 percent) more body fat compared to those boys who got 10 hours or more of rest.

“The boys who slept eight hours a day would also have 1.8 kg more lean (bone and muscle) mass compared to the boys who slept 10 hours, but that’s only a 1.4 percent increase, compared to the 9 percent increase seen in body fat,” Skidmore added.

With regard to the girls, Skidmore noted that similar correlations between sleep and body mass did not produce the same results. “It was unexpected that we did not find the same result in girls, who may actually be more aware of their diet and more in tune with a healthier lifestyle,” she added.