When You Eat Matters for Weight
Meal Frequency and Timing Are Associated with Changes in Body Mass Index in Adventist Health Study 2.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Eating the largest meal at breakfast led to the greatest BMI reduction (-0.038 kg/m²/year) — bigger than eating it at lunch or dinner.
Most diet trends promote ‘eat like a king at breakfast’ as folklore — but this is the first large study to quantify it as the most effective timing strategy for weight control.
Practical Takeaways
Try eating only breakfast and lunch, with a 5–6 hour gap between them, and stop eating by 7 PM to get an 18+ hour overnight fast.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Eating the largest meal at breakfast led to the greatest BMI reduction (-0.038 kg/m²/year) — bigger than eating it at lunch or dinner.
Most diet trends promote ‘eat like a king at breakfast’ as folklore — but this is the first large study to quantify it as the most effective timing strategy for weight control.
Practical Takeaways
Try eating only breakfast and lunch, with a 5–6 hour gap between them, and stop eating by 7 PM to get an 18+ hour overnight fast.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of nutrition
Year
2017
Authors
H. Kahleová, J. Lloren, Andrew Mashchak, M. Hill, G. Fraser
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Claims (10)
Prolonged overnight fasting (>18 hours) is associated with lower body mass index due to reduced total daily caloric intake.
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.
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.
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.
Eating fewer than three meals per day is associated with lower body mass index (BMI) compared to consuming three or more meals per day.