肥胖近年來已成為全球關注的公共衛生議題,造成肥胖普及率急遽升高背後有許多原因,例如環境因素、遺傳因素以及熱量攝取與消耗,甚至連睡眠時間的多寡都有可能影響到身體質量指數。本研究嘗試從睡眠時間的多寡來探討台灣地區人口其睡眠時間對於個人身體質量值數之影響。而本研究也是第一篇企圖將睡眠時間視為內生變數,進一步研究其與身體質量指數之關係的文章。結果顯示,倘若想維持正常的身體質量指數,單靠減少睡眠時間是不夠的,重要的是必須搭配其他生活習慣,例如採取熱量消耗量較高之休閒活動,藉此達到足夠的熱量消耗量,進一步維持良好的身體質量指數。此結果也可提供給台灣地區人口另一個維持個人身體質量指數之生活型態。
Recently, there have been considerable public health concerns about the rising obesity rates in the world. In virtually, every study by economists considers the determinants of the high prevalence of obesity as environment, genetic, energy intake or expenditure, and even the sleep duration. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between sleep duration and Body Mass Index (BMI) based on a national survey in Taiwan. This study is the first attempt to estimate the effect of sleep time on BMI, while allowing the possible endogeneity of sleep time. Consequently, to maintain the normal level of BMI, it is not only reduces the sleep time but also encourage some leisure habits with higher energy expenditure. Thus, my empirical results suggest that life style play an essential role for the normal value of BMI.