Beware Late Snackers: the Proof is in the Hormones

A recent study from Brigham and Women's Hospital has shown a connection between late eating and development of differentiation in calories burned, how fat cells are processed, and increased risk of obesity.

The study was conducted at the Brigham’s Division for Sleep and Circadian Disorders and included 16 individuals with a body mass index (BMI) in the overweight or obese range. The study, keeping sleep and diet constant between study participants, hoped to measure changes in how the body reacted to a later meal and how it was processed as opposed to earlier fed individuals.

Results showed that, "eating later had profound effects on hunger and appetite relating hormones" [1], and study participants who were tasked with a later eating schedule (late dinner) 4 hours after the early group saw calories burned at, "a slower rate" [1] in comparison.

Findings of the study have yet to make conclusive statements due to the various and intermingled factors surrounding calories burned and risks of obesity. However, findings surrounding the ghrelin and leptin (satiety from consumption) hormone levels in late eating patients provides a solid basis for a case against later eating to prevent lifestyle related diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

Further Reading: Late-Night Eating Impact | Harvard Medical School (https://hms.harvard.edu/news/late-night-eating-impact)

Sources:

[1] Brigham and Women's Hospital. "Eating late increases hunger, decreases calories burned, and changes fat tissue." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 October 2022. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/10/221004121928.htm>.