Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2016 Sep;45(3):689-718.
doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2016.04.017.

Energy and Nutrient Timing for Weight Control: Does Timing of Ingestion Matter?

Megan A McCrory  1 , Ayla C Shaw  2 , Joy A Lee  2
Affiliations
Review

Energy and Nutrient Timing for Weight Control: Does Timing of Ingestion Matter?

Megan A McCrory et al. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2016 Sep.

Abstract

Over the past 40 years, meal skipping and snacking in US adults have increased, and currently most eating occasions occur later in the day than previously. Whether these changes have played a causal role in the obesity epidemic is poorly understood. Observational studies are largely inconclusive due to methodological limitations. Experimental evidence does not support a causal role for eating frequency or breakfast skipping in weight control. Emerging evidence suggests that eating irregularity and eating later in the day may be detrimental for weight control, but more studies are needed. This article summarizes studies and highlights areas needing attention.

Keywords: Breakfast skipping; Eating frequency; Eating pattern; Irregular eating; Meal pattern; Meals; Reported energy intake plausibility; Snacks.

PubMed Disclaimer

LinkOut - more resources