Breakfast, lunch, and dinner do the body great. But do you ever find yourself answering the call of hunger during the middle of the night?
Research consistently shows that people who eat late at night weigh more than those who eat all of their food earlier in the day. According to a 2007 study published in the International Journal of Obesity, people who eat most of their food at night have higher body mass indexes than people who eat earlier in the day. In another study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, participants who ate between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. gained more weight than those who didn’t. What is it about the nighttime that makes you put on weight?
Nothing Good Happens After 10 p.m.
At midnight, people will rarely make chicken and salad. They will eat ice cream or chips, the high-fat or high-sugar foods that our bodies store so effectively as fat. So, during the night hours, we look for something quick and unhealthy to munch on.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that nighttime eaters ate 12 percent more calories than those who ate only throughout the day. The International Journal of Obesity study also found that nighttime eaters participated in more binge-eating behaviors than those who didn’t eat after dinner.
