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.

Scientific Claim

In a cohort of 50,660 North American adults aged 30 and older, the combination of eating two meals per day (breakfast and lunch), with a 5–6 hour gap between them and an overnight fast of 18–19 hours, is associated with the most favorable BMI trajectory, suggesting a potentially optimal meal timing pattern for long-term weight maintenance.

Original Statement

“Eating breakfast and lunch 5–6 h apart and making the overnight fast last 18–19 h may be a useful practical strategy.”

From study:Meal Frequency and Timing Are Associated with Changes in Body Mass Index in Adventist Health Study 2.

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

overstated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

association

Can only show association/correlation

Assessment Explanation

The study observes individual associations but does not test the combination as an intervention. The conclusion implies causation and efficacy; only an association with a pattern can be claimed.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Meal Frequency and Timing Are Associated with Changes in Body Mass Index in Adventist Health Study 2.

Cohort Study

Human

2017 Sep

People who ate just breakfast and lunch, skipped snacks, and went 18–19 hours without eating at night lost a little weight over time, while those who ate more often gained weight.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Meal Frequency and Timing Are Associated with Changes in Body Mass Index in Adventist Health Study 2.

Score: 67

DOI: 10.3945/jn.116.244749

Similar Assertions

Whether you’re male or female, young or old, or active or not, eating meals at certain times still seems to affect your weight the same way — the pattern holds up for most people.

80%

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.

78%

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.

78%

For white people, eating the biggest meal at lunch seems to help prevent weight gain more than it does for Black people — suggesting that the same eating pattern might not work the same way for everyone.

76%

Even though people might not remember exactly when they ate, the general patterns of when and how often they eat still line up with whether they gain or lose weight over time.

74%