Men who eat only three meals or fewer a day are more than twice as likely to be obese compared to men who snack and eat more often, even when they eat the same total amount of food.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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A high eating frequency is associated with an overall healthy lifestyle in middle-aged men and women and reduced likelihood of general and central obesity in men

Cross-Sectional Study

Human

2010 Oct

This study found that men who eat only three meals or fewer a day are more likely to be overweight or have extra belly fat than those who eat six or more meals, even when they eat the same total amount of food—suggesting how often you eat might matter for your health.

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No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

A high eating frequency is associated with an overall healthy lifestyle in middle-aged men and women and reduced likelihood of general and central obesity in men

Score: 42

DOI: 10.1017/S0007114510001753

Similar Assertions

Men who eat fewer meals are more than twice as likely to have a very large waistline, even if they eat the same number of calories as men who eat more often.

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Even when men ate the same number of total calories, those who ate fewer meals were still more likely to be obese, meaning it’s not just about how much they eat, but when and how often.

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Even when researchers accounted for people eating lots of sweets and junk food, those who ate fewer meals still had higher obesity rates, meaning the problem isn’t just about what they snack on.

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For women in this study, how often they ate didn’t seem to affect whether they were obese or had a large waist, unlike in men.

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