Shift work is becoming increasingly common in this 24/7 world, but it may come at a price: worse health for workers.

An editorial published today in the journal PLoS Medicine draws attention to the health risks of shift workers, including a greater chance of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes from bad eating habits and sleep disorders because of disrupted circadian rhythms. The authors (PLoS Medicine editors) cite a study published in the journal this month in which 69,269 women were followed for 18 to 20 years. Researchers found that longer periods of rotating night shift work were associated with a moderately increased risk of type 2 diabetes, which may be partly controlled by keeping weight down.