Cited by 894Dietary Effects on HealthCircadian rhythm and melatoninNutrition, Health and Food Behavior

A smartphone app reveals erratic diurnal eating patterns in humans that can be modulated for health benefits

Open access
Gill, Shubhroz, Panda, Satchidananda·2015·Cell Metabolism

Abstract

A diurnal rhythm of eating-fasting promotes health, but the eating pattern of humans is rarely assessed. Using a mobile app, we monitored ingestion events in healthy adults with no shift-work for several days. Most subjects ate frequently and erratically throughout wakeful hours, and overnight fasting duration paralleled time in bed. There was a bias toward eating late, with an estimated <25% of calories being consumed before noon and >35% after 6 p.m. "Metabolic jetlag" resulting from weekday/weekend variation in eating pattern akin to travel across time zones was prevalent. The daily intake duration (95% interval) exceeded 14.75 hr for half of the cohort. When overweight individuals with >14 hr eating duration ate for only 10-11 hr daily for 16 weeks assisted by a data visualization (raster plot of dietary intake pattern, "feedogram") that we developed, they reduced body weight, reported being energetic, and improved sleep. Benefits persisted for a year.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cmet.2015.09.005

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  • Gill and Panda observed a delay of 1 h of breakfast on weekends compared to weekdays, while the mean last caloric intake, most probably dinner, was more commonly advanced.

    “Gill and Panda (7) who observed a delay of 1 h of breakfast on weekends compared to weekdays, contrary to the mean last caloric intake, most probably dinner, which was more commonly advanced.”

    From Meal timing and its role in obesity and associated diseases (2024) · cites this paper as [7]

    In Results, “Eating pattern relative to wakeful hours” (Fig. 3d–e), the mean first caloric intake was 9:21 am on weekdays and 10:26 am on weekends; advancing the last intake by more than an hour was slightly more common than delaying it (17% versus 15%). The paper does not establish that the last intake was dinner: Results, “Daily eating pattern in humans” (Fig. 2c), says a breakfast–lunch–dinner pattern was largely absent. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • A study tracking participants' eating behaviors via a smartphone app revealed erratic diurnal feeding patterns.

    “A study tracking the participants’ eating behaviors via a smartphone app, revealed erratic diurnal feeding patterns [257].”
  • In modern times a tendency for late-eating patterns has been observed and in many cases it is accompanied by skipping breakfast.

    “In modern times a tendency for late-eating patterns has been observed and in many cases, it is accompanied by skipping breakfast [257].”

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Authors
Gill, S., & Panda, S.
Affiliations
Salk Institute for Biological Studies (US)
Corresponding author
Panda, Satchidananda
Venue
Cell Metabolism
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2015-11
Volume
22
Issue
5
Pages
789-798
ISSN
1550-4131 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2171703113
Cited by
894
References
22
Citations by year
2026: 68 · 2025: 94 · 2024: 109 · 2023: 98 · 2022: 123 · 2021: 113 · 2020: 126 · 2019: 63 · 2018: 47 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 1
FWCI
24.29
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell Metabolism (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Eye Institute (R01EY016807, EY016807)
  • National Cancer Institute (P30CA014195)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DK063491, DK 091618, R01DK091618, P30DK063491)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Dietary Effects on Health
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
Keywords
dietary habits, mobile application, overnight fasting, weekday/weekend variation, eating duration, overweight, weight loss, sleep quality, circadian rhythm
MeSH terms
Smartphone, Adult, Body Weight, Energy Intake, Eating, Feeding Behavior, Female, Humans, Male

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