People who go without food for 18 hours or more overnight tend to gain less weight each year than those who eat again sooner after dinner — and those who snack late at night tend to gain a little more.

Prolonged overnight fasting (>18 hours) is associated with lower body mass index due to reduced total daily caloric intake.

People with metabolic syndrome who follow intermittent fasting see their body mass index drop by a small but measurable amount, meaning they’re losing fat relative to their height.

The healthiest pattern for avoiding weight gain seems to be eating just two meals — breakfast and lunch — with a few hours between them, and then not eating again until the next morning.

People who eat just one or two meals a day tend to gain less weight each year than those who eat three meals a day, even if they’re eating the same amount of food.