People who eat fewer meals are more likely to under-report how much they eat, which could make it harder to study their true eating habits accurately.
Scientific Claim
Among middle-aged adults, individuals who under-report their energy intake are less likely to report high eating frequencies, suggesting that under-reporting bias may be more common in those with infrequent eating patterns.
Original Statement
“These individuals were also more likely to under-report EI, but less likely to have changed their food habits substantially in the past compared with more frequent eaters (Table 2).”
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 claim accurately reflects the observed data on energy misreporting without overinterpreting causality, consistent with the study’s design.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (0)
Contradicting (1)
This study says people who eat less often tend to be less healthy, but it never looked at whether they lie about how much they eat, so it can't confirm the claim about under-reporting.