Caloric midpoint is associated with total calorie and macronutrient intake and body mass index in undergraduate students

Abstract

Studies have suggested that eating at later times may be a risk factor for being overweight. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of caloric midpoint on the anthropometric profile and calorie and macronutrient intake during the day. The study included 718 Brazilian undergraduate students (20.5 ± 2.9 years old; 67% women). Dietary intake was assessed by 24-h recall and the diurnal variation of calorie consumption was evaluated by caloric midpoint average time at which 50% of daily energy were consumed. Participants were classified into two groups according to caloric midpoint median; early eaters (caloric midpoint ≤ 3:00 pm) or late eaters (caloric midpoint > 3:00 pm). Body weight and waist circumference were measured and body mass index (BMI) was determined. Generalized linear models adjusted for confounding variables were used to determine the association between variables. The late eaters presented higher BMI when compared to early eaters (23.0 kg/m² ± 0.3 vs. 22.1 kg/m² ± 0.2, respectively; p = .02). Late eaters reported a higher total daily consumption of energy (p < .001) and proportion consumed after 9:00 pm (p < .001), as well as total daily carbohydrate (p < .001), protein (p < .001), fat (p < .001), saturated fat (p < .001), and cholesterol (p = .04) intake when compared with early eaters. We conclude that concentrating food intake later in the day is associated with higher total energy and macronutrient intake as well as a higher average BMI.

Keywords: Caloric midpoint; circadian rhythms; eating at night; food consumption; mealtime; undergraduate students.