WINTER SALE: Save up to $862 on our trips! Book now and secure your adventure!

A Vacation in the Sun Aids Weight Loss, According to Science

| © Glen Jackson / Unsplash

If you’ve been on a health kick since New Year, but the amount of weight you’ve lost just doesn’t seem to correlate with the extent of your virtuousness, scientists may have an explanation. It appears stubborn winter weight is partly down to a lack of sunlight.

Researchers from the University of Alberta recently discovered that our fat cells, which sit just below the surface of the skin, shrink when they receive a dose of sunlight. In the winter months, when we’re covered up and pretty much spend our days hunkered down indoors, it’s safe to assume we aren’t getting enough sun, and no amount of gym time can compensate for that.

Peter Light, study author, professor of pharmacology and director of the Alberta Diabetes Institute explains it like this: “When the sun’s blue light wavelengths—the light we can see with our eye—penetrate our skin and reach the fat cells just beneath, lipid droplets reduce in size and are released out of the cell. In other words, our cells don’t store as much fat.

“If you flip our findings around, the insufficient sunlight exposure we get eight months of the year living in a northern climate may be promoting fat storage and contribute to the typical weight gain some of us have over winter.”

Light cites this as a potential contributing factor to the current obesity epidemic, especially among children. Younger generations are spending more time playing computer games indoors, and less time outside. Not only does that mean less physical activity, it also means fewer hours of sun exposure.

The good news is, a week or two spent soaking up the sun in a warm climate just might boost weight loss.

But don’t take that as an indication that you should leave the sunscreen at home. Peter Light adds that “we don’t yet know the intensity and duration of light necessary for this pathway to be activated,” and the health risks of sun exposure need to be considered alongside the benefits.

About the author

Born and raised in Bristol, England, Esme has been geeking out over syntax her entire life. She studied English Lit by the Brighton seaside before moving to London to pursue her writing career in 2009, going on to work for Grazia Daily, The Telegraph and SheerLuxe. In 2013 she swapped The Big Smoke for The Big Apple, where she trained as a yoga teacher and contributed to Refinery29, Self, Fitness Magazine and Greatist. When she's not glued to her laptop or iPhone you'll find her drinking Kale Margaritas at an East Village happy hour, planning her next adventure, or hand-standing (with more vigor than skill) at the yoga studio.

If you click on a link in this story, we may earn affiliate revenue. All recommendations have been independently sourced by Culture Trip.
close-ad