I usually enjoy Dr. Spiesel's columns, but I think he missed the boat on this one. To my mind, there is a more likely explanation for the link between sleep and obesity. He said the shorter sleeping kids usually had less sleep due to a later bed time.

I suspect parents who let their kids stay up till all hours of the night are the same parents who are more likely to let their kids play hours of video games or watch TV while eating junk food and getting no exercise.

Seems more likely to me than some voodoo physiology involving serum leptin levels.

Mystery solved?