Each year, these eating habits only change your weight by a tiny bit — but over 20 or 30 years, that adds up to a big difference in whether you stay lean or gain a lot of weight.
Scientific Claim
In a cohort of 50,660 North American adults aged 30 and older, the annual change in BMI associated with meal frequency and timing patterns is small (ranging from -0.04 to +0.04 kg/m²/year), but may accumulate to clinically meaningful differences over decades, potentially preventing 12–15 pounds of weight gain over a lifetime.
Original Statement
“The relatively small estimated effects on BMI per year of each meal frequency and timing exposure variable were similar in size to a study that evaluated effects of dietary differences on BMI over time in another population containing many vegetarians. However, from a public health perspective, having a population of young adults avoid a weight gain of 12–15 pounds, which is often very difficult to lose in a healthy fashion, would be a great advantage.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The authors correctly frame small effect sizes as potentially impactful over time, using conservative language ('may accumulate', 'would be a great advantage'). No causal claims are made about lifetime outcomes.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
People who ate fewer meals, skipped snacks, ate breakfast, and didn’t eat late at night slowly lost a tiny bit of weight each year—over decades, that adds up to avoiding 12–15 pounds of weight gain.