The more snacks or meals people eat in a day beyond three, the more weight they tend to gain each year — even if it’s just a little bit each year.

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.

People who eat their biggest meal in the morning tend to gain less weight each year than those who eat their biggest meal at night — and those who eat it at lunch fall somewhere in between.

Eating fewer than three meals per day is associated with lower body mass index (BMI) compared to consuming three or more meals per day.

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.

Even though older people tend to lose weight as they age, those who eat fewer meals or skip snacks still gain less weight than others their age — meaning meal habits matter no matter how old you are.