Working at night has become equivalent to a norm as many jobs require employees to work during nighttime hours. For some workers, working when the sun goes down is the only way to make ends meet.

However, when it comes to health, working nights can have negative consequences. Recent studies suggest that working at night may lead to abdominal fat accumulation.

What is abdominal fat?

Abdominal fat is body fat that is acculmulated around the stomach or abdomen. Two types of fat exist in our bodies, visceral and subcutaneous fat.

Subcutaneous fat is stored under the skin, and it can be seen on body areas like hips and legs. However, visceral fat grows only around the stomach and other internal organs like liver, kidneys, and pancreas.

The accumulation of visceral fat deep in the belly, hidden away from view, increases the risk of several metabolic diseases like heart diseases, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

What causes accumulation of abdominal fat?

Several factors contribute to the accumulation of abdominal fat. These include:.

Diet: Eating a diet that is high in processed foods, sugar, and saturated fats can contribute to the accumulation of visceral fat.
Inactivity: Physical inactivity can lead to excess visceral fat storage. Sedentary behavior such as sitting for long periods and lack of physical activity can cause this.
Stress: Chronic high levels of stress and cortisol levels can lead to an increase in visceral fat accumulation.

How does working at night contribute to abdominal fat accumulation?

Night shift workers experience several lifestyle differences from day workers. These differences include late-night eating patterns, irregular sleep cycles, and decreased physical activity.

Recent research has suggested that working at night could promote weight gain and visceral obesity.

In one study conducted by Haley A. et al. (2021) at the University of Colorado, researchers found that night shift workers had increased visceral fat accumulation compared to day workers who ate and slept at similar times.

Other studies have also linked night shift work with increased chances of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disturbances.

Chronic circadian and metabolic effects of night shift work lead to poor eating habits. The studies have noted that night shift work can cause nibbling patterns and disruptions to normal eating schedules.

Shift workers who skip meals due to the nature of their work schedules tend to rely heavily on high-calorie, low-nutrient foods for convenience, leading to weight gain and health complications such as insulin resistance and inflammation.

Conclusion

Working at night can lead to a wide range of health issues from sleep deprivation to adverse effects on digestion, metabolism, and weight regulation. Accumulation of visceral fat due to working at night is a well-established phenomenon.

Given the fact that the world’s population associated with night shift work is steadily increasing, understanding and mitigating the metabolic consequences of this labor trend is becoming more essential than ever.