Could eating late in the day promote weight gain in a way that has nothing to do with calories?

*Could eating late in the day promote weight gain in a way that has
nothing to do with calories?*

Posted By _Dr John Briffa_ On September 7, 2009 @ 5:48 pm In _Healthy
Eating_, _Unhealthy Eating!_, _Weight Loss_ | _
<http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/09/07/could-eating-late-in-the-day-promote-weight-gain-in-a-way-that-has-nothing-to-do-with-calories/print/#comments_controls>_

A mere 10 days ago one of [1] my posts
<http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/08/28/why-human-not-mice-studies-are-the-most-appropriate-for-judging-the-effects-of-diets-on-human-health/>
highlighted a study which had, apparently, found that a low carb diet
was found to induce increased amounts of atherosclerosis (a key
underlying process in the development of cardiovascular conditions such
as heart attacks and strokes) in mice. I was sceptical of this study,
partly on account of the fact that mice are not men (or women), and
using them as a model for human disease is not always advised. There is
also the matter of the huge volume of research which attests to the fact
that low-carb diets have a range of favourable effects in humans,
including weight loss and several markers of disease including blood
fat, blood sugar and insulin levels.

However, I do not dismiss animal studies out-of-hand. I will and do
refer to them sometimes when they genuinely appear to enhance our
understanding of the relationship between, say, nutrition and health.
For example, in my [2] very last post
<http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-myriad-of-reasons-why-artificial-sweetners-may-not-deliver-on-their-weight-loss-promise/>
I referred to a rat study which showed that artificial sweeteners appear
to have the capacity to /induce/ (not protect against) weight gain,
compared to sugar.

And it's another animal study that I want to talk about today. It
concerns the feeding of nocturnal mice in two distinct ways [1]. Some
mice were fed unlimited amounts of food (a high-fat diet) during the
night (the normal eating time for these mice). Other mice were fed
during the day (when they would normally be asleep). Food intakes and
activity levels were measured over a period of 6 weeks. These were found
not to differ significantly between the two groups.

With these facts as they are, one might expect the weight status of the
two groups of mice to be the same. After all, calories in and out of
these mice appeared to be pretty much the same. However, the results
appear to defy the calorie principle, in that the mice eating during the
night were found to have increased their weight by 20 per cent. The
other group (eating at a time when they should, by rights, have been
asleep) had, however, amassed an additional 48 per cent of their
original weight.

This study suggests that there is something about the timing of eating
that may influence whether it is metabolised or ends up being stored (as
fat or something else) in the body. It also does cast some doubt on the
'wisdom' that weight status is all about the 'calorie in and calories
out'. Interestingly, there is some evidence that night-eating (consuming
proportionately more of the diet during the evening and night) is
associated with increased body weight [2].

Those keen to moderate how much they eat during the evening and night
may be interested in research which shows that packing in food intake
earlier in the day seems to put a natural brake on eating later on. In
one study, the diet diaries of almost 800 men and women were examined [3].

Their food and calorific intake was assessed for each of five, four-hour
periods stretching from 6 am to 2 am the following day. The results of
this study showed that those who had consumed the bulk of their food
near the end of the day ate, on average, significantly more calories
than individuals who ate more substantial amounts of food early on. In
addition to assessing food intake over the course of each day, the
researchers also calculated how effective each meal was at sating the
appetite. The so-called 'satiety index' of each meal was calculated by
dividing the number of calories it contained into the time that elapsed
before another meal or snack was eaten. Interestingly, food eaten later
in the day was found to satisfy less, calorie for calorie, than food
eaten earlier in the day.

One other thing that can really help to stave off unnecessary eating in
the evening, in my experience, is to make sure hunger has not run out of
control by this time. For most people, all this takes is to have a snack
in the late afternoon, preferably of something that has true
appetite-sating ability. A handful or two of nuts will normally do it.

*References:*

1. Arble DM, et al. Circadian Timing of Food Intake Contributes to
Weight Gain 3rd September 2009 [epub ahead of print]

2. Colles SL, et al. Night eating syndrome and nocturnal snacking:
association with obesity, binge eating and psychological distress. Int J
Obes (Lond). 2007;31(11):1722-30

3. de Castro JM. The time of day of food intake influences overall
intake in humans. Journal of Nutrition 2004 134:104-111

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Article printed from Dr Briffa's Blog: *http://www.drbriffa.com*

URL to article:
*http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/09/07/could-eating-late-in-the-day-promote-weight-gain-in-a-way-that-has-nothing-to-do-with-calories/*

URLs in this post:
[1] my posts:
*http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/08/28/why-human-not-mice-studies-are-the-most-appropriate-for-judg
ing-the-effects-of-diets-on-human-health/
*
[2] very last post:
*http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-myriad-of-reasons-why-artificial-sweetners-may-not-deliv
er-on-their-weight-loss-promise/*