Can Electricity Make Us Sick and Fat?

Yes it can! Surprising isn't it? Now, let us see how,

Some of us may be glued to our laptops and Xboxes late night and according to a UK study published last year in the journal 'Bioessays' it has serious implications on our health and waistline.

For thousands of years we did most of our activities during day and when it was dark we had little to do but sleep. But things have changed with the advent of electricity. Over the last century we have relied on electricity and started staying up late. This goes against our natural circadian rhytms that releases hormones like cortisol, insulin & melatonin says Wyse a PHD scholar at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

Health experts also note that there is strong evidence that shift workers are more prone to diabetes, breast cancer and heart disease.

Way back in 2005 Wyse first suspected that there was a link between electricity and health. But her eureka moment came only a few years later when she found that when the time duration when mice exposed to darkness and light was altered than usual, caused them to gain weight.

An earlier study seem to support Wyse's theory. It showed that when people stay close to latitudes with greater night and day fluctuations they experience more weight gain. 

Practical application

* First of all we know that electricity is here to stay. But we can limit the adverse effects of electricity on our health by keeping a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up on the same time on week days and week ends.

* Make your bedroom as dark as possible by blocking light from alarm clocks or phones.

* Limit night time TV and computer usage. Eg: shut of everything by say 10 pm or earlier.