Obesity is a complex epidemic
Weight gain and obesity have been described as a complex epidemiological problem in the United States. Previous research has found a link between poor diet, weight gain, high body fat content, and eating at the end of the day as a factor in gaining weight; however, the effect of each person’s biological clock, regardless of mealtime during the day, has yet to be discovered.
Relationship between weight and time to eat
In a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) on September 6, 2017, BWH researchers studied the relationship between body fat, body mass index, and time to eat during the day and clock. biological of the body. This is the first time that the timing of meals and its relationship with the beginning of melatonin secretion, which is the beginning of sleep, has been examined.
“We found that the timing of eating and its relationship to the onset of melatonin secretion, which is a sign of early night in human biology, is related to high body fat and BMI, and not related to time during the day, the amount or components of the food.
“These results indicate that the timing of your caloric intake, depending on your biological timing, may be more important to your health than the time of day,” said Dr. Andrew Mikel, a researcher in the Department of Sleep and Circulatory Disorders at BWH. .
The researchers found that people with a high fat intake consumed most of their calories just before bed when the melatonin level was high, compared to those with less body fat.
The researchers said They were unable to determine the relationship between meal timing, calorie count, meal components, activity level, exercise, sleep time, and any measure of their body composition. The researchers recognized several limitations that must be considered in future work, including the fact that the university student sector does not represent the rest of the sectors in terms of food choices, circulatory rhythm and biological clock.
The researchers also reported These findings provide evidence that eating during the afternoon or evening, regardless of other factors such as the amount or components of the food you eat and the level of your activity, plays an important role in body composition.
According to studies, people who eat their food soon after the onset of melatonin secretion are more likely to have higher body mass index and body fat than those who eat early.