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.

Scientific Claim

In a cohort of 50,660 North American adults aged 30 and older, consuming four or more meals or snacks per day is associated with a small annual increase in body mass index (BMI) of 0.02 to 0.04 kg/m²/year compared to those consuming three meals per day, with a linear trend showing greater BMI gain with more eating episodes.

Original Statement

“On the other hand, eating >3 meals (snacking) compared with 3 meals/d was associated with a relative increase in BMI per year [0.02 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.03); 0.02 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.03); and 0.04 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.06)] for 4 (prevalence: 26.5%), 5 (prevalence: 13%), and ≥6 (prevalence: 3.8%) meals/d, respectively. We observed a linear association between the number of meals eaten per day and changes in BMI...”

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 shows a clear linear association but cannot prove that snacking causes weight gain. The original text implies causation by labeling snacking as a cause of BMI increase; only association is supported.

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 more than three meals or snacks a day slowly gained weight over time, while those who ate fewer meals lost or kept their weight steady — so eating more often was linked to gaining 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

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