Simple Eating Timings May Help Maintain A Healthy Weight, Study Finds

A new study has found that two simple eating habits may help people maintain a lower body weight. Researchers suggest that having dinner earlier, eating breakfast sooner, and avoiding food in between could be linked to lower body mass index over time.

The research was led by scientists at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health in Spain. The team analysed diet and weight data from 7,074 people aged between 40 and 65. Participants were followed for five years.

The findings showed that those who ate breakfast earlier and allowed a longer gap between dinner and the next meal tended to have lower BMI scores. While BMI is not a perfect measure of obesity, it remains widely used in health studies.

Role of body clock

Researchers believe the results may be linked to the body's natural daily cycle, known as circadian rhythms. These internal clocks regulate when the body rests, wakes, and processes food.

According to the study, eating earlier in the day may better match these rhythms, helping the body burn calories more efficiently and control appetite.

The analysis also found that people who ate later breakfasts or consumed food more frequently were more likely to have higher BMI. The link between longer overnight fasting and lower BMI was particularly strong in premenopausal women.

Skipping breakfast shows mixed results

The study also looked at different eating patterns. One group of men who skipped breakfast and ate their first meal after 2 pm showed no clear benefit in terms of weight. Researchers noted that this pattern was often linked with other lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol use.

Experts say this suggests that simply skipping breakfast may not be an effective long-term strategy for weight loss.

Growing interest in meal timing

The research forms part of a growing field known as chrononutrition, which examines how the timing and frequency of meals affect health. While the study does not prove cause and effect, it adds to evidence that when people eat may be just as important as what they eat. Scientists say further research is needed to confirm these findings through clinical trials. The study has been published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.