I know, I know.  It's yet another study about why kids are fat these days.  [sigh]  I'm beginning to wonder if anybody really knows?  Is it fast-food commercials, watching TV itself, NOT watching TV, school lunches, what, what, WHAT???!

Theory du jour:   sleep.  Actually, I can relate to this one.  I'm appalled at the amount of sleep most American kids get these days, so it's no wonder they're falling asleep at their desks and causing their parents to be fined for missing parent-teacher conferences.  They just aren't sleeping enough.  And while I can't quite manage the 7 o'clock bedtime espoused in books like this one, I do pretty well.  And my kids look like walking stick insects.

Apparently, this study found a significant relationship between sleep, Body Mass Index (BMI), and overweight status in children aged 3 to 18.  Even adding one hour sleep a night to a child's routine made a big difference in "weight status".  The study was held over a five-year period whichhelped determine the issue of whether sleep actually affects weight or whether children who already are overweight are simply poor sleepers.