{"id":170955,"date":"2025-09-17T22:52:43","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T04:52:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/?p=170955"},"modified":"2025-09-23T10:20:52","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T16:20:52","slug":"standard-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/health\/standard-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Permanent Standard Time Could Lower Rates of Obesity and Stroke"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If the United States stopped changing the clocks twice a year, there would likely be a drop in obesity rates and the number of strokes nationwide<\/strong>, according to a new study<\/a> conducted by Stanford University researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study estimates that adopting permanent standard time could prevent roughly 300,000 strokes annually and reduce the number of people with obesity by 2.6 million<\/strong>, compared to the current biannual time changes. Permanent daylight saving time would also bring health benefits, though to a lesser extent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Mexico, the practice of switching to daylight saving time<\/strong> was abolished<\/strong> in October 2022. However, some border states and municipalities still adjust their clocks in March and November to align with U.S. economic activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Published in the scientific journal PNAS<\/em>, the study compared the potential impact of three different time arrangements\u2014permanent standard time, permanent daylight saving time, and biannual clock changes\u2014on circadian rhythms and public health.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Closer Look at the Study<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Juan Antonio Madrid P\u00e9rez, professor of physiology and director of the Chronobiology Laboratory at the University of Murcia, described the research as \u201cpioneering\u201d for quantifying the chronic effects of time policies on health, something that, until now, has been scarcely studied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIts conclusions support the idea of abandoning seasonal time changes and opting for permanent standard time (closest to solar time) as the healthiest option for the majority of the population,\u201d Madrid P\u00e9rez said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that although the model assumes ideal light conditions and does not account for all real-world factors, such as irregular sleep schedules or time spent outdoors<\/a>, it provides a solid scientific basis for the ongoing debate about time policy reform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every spring, Americans set their clocks forward by one hour, and in the fall, they set them back to standard time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous studies have linked the loss of one hour of sleep<\/a> on the second Sunday in March to a spike in heart attacks and even an increase in traffic accidents in the days immediately following the change. However, until now, the broader biomedical impact of sticking with a single year-round time policy had not been fully understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese health effects depend greatly on latitude and a community\u2019s longitudinal position within a time zone,\u201d the study noted. \u201cIt will be crucial to consider these data in ongoing debates surrounding time policies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers also found that both a person\u2019s chronotype<\/a>\u2014whether they are naturally more of a morning or night person\u2014and their geographic location play a key role in how these shifts affect health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits Back the End of Clock Changes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The study examined these patterns alongside U.S. county-level health data. Under idealized light exposure conditions and after controlling for health and socioeconomic factors, researchers found:<\/p>\n\n\n\n