Central Heating and Weight Control

Oh dear, I have just finished reading some articles in some less than reputable daily newspapers, and on reading them I thought that their claims were so far fetched that I had to dig a little deeper. Both the Telegraph and the Mail [both from the same publishing house ...] last month carried stories with large BLACK HEADLINES proclaiming that the reason for the obesity epidemic which is allegedly sweeping the 'developed world' (Europe, the USA & Canada...) is down to ...... wait for it Central Heating Installation! ..... I know.

But as I said these reports were carried in those two papers, and those two are quite renowned for causing a lot of hype out of nothing. As I said earlier there I simply just did not believe what they were printing so I went to google and explored. Right enough almost the top page on the net was a rebuttal on the NHS website stating the facts very clearly, there was a study in a Medical Journal 'Obesity Review' and the journal did propose that ambient temperature had an effect on the metabolic rate, and that more calories may be lost in the cold ..

 

Trends in indoor winter temperatures
The authors cite evidence to show:

 

  • a trend in affluent populations to heat their homes to temperatures closer to the lower limit of the “human thermoneutral zone” (TNZ). The TNZ is defined as the range of temperatures at which the metabolic rate (and therefore energy expenditure) is minimal (25C-27C for a naked adult human).
  • that widespread uptake in central heating and air conditioning have led to expectations of “thermal monotony” and rises in living-room temperatures have been accompanied by rises  in bedroom and hallway temperatures, which were previously maintained at cooler temperatures
  • that workplace temperatures are also thought to be increasing
  • that reduced seasonal cold exposure is exacerbated by reductions in walking and cycling in favour of temperature-controlled cars

Human responses to cold

  • Humans exposed to cold maintain body temperature and conserve heat through different modes of thermogenesis (heat production).
  • There is “indirect evidence” to show that thermogenesis plays a significant role in energy balance. A small number of studies have indicated that effects of mild cold can increase human energy expenditure, with one study suggesting that the energy expenditure of being exposed to mild cold for 10% of the time could be equivalent to an 8kg difference in body weight over 10 years.
  • Studies indicate that this reduced exposure to seasonal cold may minimise the need for thermogenesis, thereby reducing energy expenditure.

There, to cut it down into simple language, when you are cold your bodies produces more heat to remain at body temperature, when you are warm you don't. That isn't quite the same thing as Central Heating has made us overweight. This somewhat short-sighted take on serious science is why newspapers are being taken less and less seriously, by right thinking people. Don't believe what you read in the papers: your sebtral heating is fine.

Posted
Views