Two Simple Eating Habits Linked to Lower Weight

The secret to staying lean might not just be what you eat. It could also be when you eat. Maintaining a healthy weight may depend on both the food choices you make and the timing of your meals. A new study has found that two specific habits are linked to having a lower body weight over time. These habits include extending the time you wait to eat overnight and eating breakfast early in the day.

The research comes from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). It was published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. The study's findings are based on data from more than 7,000 adults. These people were aged between 40 and 65 years old. They are part of a long-term health study called the GCAT | Genomes for Life cohort.

In 2018, participants gave details about their height, weight, and when they ate their meals. They also shared information about their lifestyle and background. Five years later, in 2023, more than 3,000 of these individuals returned for follow-up check-ups. Researchers took new measurements and collected new survey data. This allowed the team to track changes and identify patterns over the five-year period.

Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a common measure used to see if a person's weight is healthy. The study found that people who followed two timing habits tended to have a lower BMI. These habits are eating an early dinner, eating an early breakfast, and having a longer period of fasting overnight between the two meals.

One researcher, Luciana Pons-Muzzo, explained the findings. "Our results suggest that extending the overnight fast could help maintain a healthy weight if accompanied by an early dinner and an early breakfast," she said. The researchers think there may be a biological reason for this.

Eating earlier in the day is more in line with the body's natural daily rhythms. These are called circadian rhythms. When we eat in sync with these rhythms, our bodies may burn calories better and regulate appetite more effectively. This can help with maintaining a healthy weight. However, the researchers are cautious. They say it is too soon to make official health recommendations based on this single study. More research is needed for stronger evidence.