2023-06-14 13:16:34
The latest scientific evidence shows how nighttime meals can affect our body weight regulation. The study, published in the renowned journal Cell Metabolism, looks at the effects of late meals on calorie burning, hunger pangs and the way the body stores fat.
These findings are invaluable as obesity affects millions of people worldwide and the realization that late-night meals should be avoided can help improve global health.
In the study, 16 participants with a body mass index (BMI) suggestive of obesity underwent two six-day tests in which their eating and sleeping habits were closely monitored. During a test, the subjects ate three meals a day – breakfast at 9 a.m., lunch at 1 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. In the second test, meals were shifted a few hours so that breakfast was at 1 p.m., lunch at 6 p.m., and dinner at 9 p.m.
The research found that levels of leptin — a hormone that signals the body when it is full — were lower over a 24-hour period when the subjects ate later. This suggests they were hungrier and more likely to eat more. It has also been found that calories are burned more slowly at later meals, which promotes fat storage.
The authors of the study emphasized: “The results obtained show convergent mechanisms by which late feeding can lead to positive energy balance and an increased risk of obesity.
The researchers wanted to not only look more closely at the connection between meal times and weight gain, but also uncover the biological reasons for this. Frank Scheer, a scientist at the Boston Hospital (USA) and one of the authors of the study, explained: “We wanted to test the mechanisms that can explain why late consumption of food increases the risk of obesity.”
The study shows that late mealtimes increase the risk of obesity through a combination of physiological and molecular mechanisms. As obesity can lead to other health problems such as diabetes and cancer, finding preventive measures such as timing food intake is of great importance to improve the health of the world’s population.
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