For years, you’ve probably heard that eating late at night can lead to weight gain, but is that really the truth? With breakfast getting all the “good meal” attention out there, it can be easy to believe that night-time meals or snacks must be a bad idea, but after years of research, have scientists proved or disproved the theory that eating late at night leads to weight gain?
It seems that there is actually still a lot of confusion on the issue. After one major study, scientists believe that eating late at night could lead to the body storing more fat than it would if the same meal had been eaten earlier in the day when the body will burn it off as energy. In the study, the scientists noticed that food is processed differently depending on the time it is consumed, which could be due to hormone, body temperature, or biochemical fluctuations, as well as physical activity, according to Steven Shea, director of the Oregon Institute of Occupation Health Sciences at Oregon Health and Science University.
However, other scientists don’t think enough research has been done to conclude that the problem lies with the timing of the meal rather than what food and how much of it is consumed. Some theorize that the real issue is that people tend to choose unhealthy items at late-night snacks or meals. These salty or sweet snacks tend to have more calories, and often, people overindulge.
Many experts in nutrition believe that eating late at night won’t have any impact on your weight. Since your body can’t tell time, it doesn’t care when you are consuming food. Your body cares more about what you are eating and the quantity of it that you consume. It appears that new research may actually be on the road to proving this.
Researchers from Israel put this late-night eating business to the test. During the six-month study, the scientists studied two groups of people. The first made breakfast their largest meal, while the second group had their largest meal for dinner at 8 p.m. or later. What the scientists found was that the later eaters lost more fat and experienced more fullness during the course of the study.
For now, let’s just say that it doesn’t really seem to matter when you eat. What’s more important is the type of food you are putting into your body. Instead of worrying about when you are eating, Plunkett Fitness encourages you to care more about what you are eating. Our Overland Park personal trainers are here to help you come up with a nutrition plan that will help you stay on track.
Plunkett Fitness also recommends a good fitness plan to go with your diet. With group personal training classes, individual personal training classes, and semi-private training, Plunkett Fitness offers something for everyone. For more information, or to join Plunkett Fitness, call (913) 390-3360 today.
