People who eat fewer meals (1–2 per day) tend to have lower body weight than those who eat 3 or more meals.
Scientific Claim
Eating fewer than three meals per day is associated with lower body mass index (BMI) compared to consuming three or more meals per day.
Original Statement
“In the journal nutrition, this was a bigger study of over 50,000 people. And in this particular study, they found that those that ate less meals, less than three meals, typically had lower BMI. And those that ate three or more, ended up having more BMI, higher BMI, the more that they ate.”
Context Details
Domain
nutrition
Population
human
Subject
meal frequency <3 meals/day
Action
is associated with
Target
lower BMI
Intervention Details
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (3)
People who ate just one or two meals a day lost a tiny bit of weight over time, while those who ate three or more meals (especially snacks) gained weight, so eating fewer meals is linked to being leaner.
People who ate only 1–2 meals a day on some days lost more weight than those who ate 3 meals every day, even when they ate the same total amount of food.
Technical explanation
This trial shows that intermittent fasting (which reduces meal frequency to 1–2 meals per day on fasting days) leads to greater weight loss than daily eating patterns, even when total calories are matched — directly supporting the claim that fewer meals per day are linked to lower BMI.
People who ate just one meal a day in the evening lost weight and burned more fat, which means eating fewer meals can help you weigh less.
Technical explanation
This study directly tests whether consuming one meal per day (fewer than three meals) is associated with lower body weight in lean individuals, finding that a single evening meal led to weight reduction and improved metabolic flexibility via increased fat oxidation — directly supporting the assertion that fewer meals correlate with lower BMI.
Contradicting (2)
When people replaced one or two meals a day with shakes or bars, they lost weight and body fat — showing that eating fewer meals helps you get leaner.
Technical explanation
This study uses meal replacement (reducing daily meals to 1–2) and shows significant reductions in weight and fat mass, directly linking fewer meals per day with lower BMI in obese adults.
When people ate either 2 or 4 meals a day but the same total calories, their blood sugar and insulin levels were about the same — so eating fewer meals didn’t make them healthier or thinner.
Technical explanation
This study directly compares high vs. low meal frequency (2 vs. 4 meals/day) with identical calories and finds no difference in postprandial metabolic risk markers — suggesting meal frequency alone doesn’t determine metabolic health or BMI, contradicting the assertion’s implied causal link.