Permanent Standard Time Could Cut Strokes, Obesity Among Americans

Key Takeaways

Permanent standard time might improve Americans’ health

The shift would prevent about 300,000 cases of stroke annually and reduce obesity by 2.6 million people

Adopting permanent daylight saving time also would improve health, but only have two-thirds of the effect

TUESDAY, Sept. 16, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Most Americans would be healthier if the nation dropped daylight saving time, a major new study says.

Switching to permanent standard time would prevent about 300,000 cases of stroke per year and result in 2.6 million fewer people with obesity, researchers estimate in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .

Permanent daylight saving time also would improve the nation’s health, but only by about two-thirds of the expected effect from permanent stan