Meal frequency and energy balance

Bellisle, France; McDevitt, Regina; Prentice, Andrew M.

doi:10.1079/bjn19970104

Cited by 279Dietary Effects on HealthRegulation of Appetite and ObesityNutrition, Health and Food Behavior

Meal frequency and energy balance

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Bellisle, France, McDevitt, Regina, Prentice, Andrew M.·1997·British Journal of Nutrition

DOI 10.1079/bjn19970104

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Abstract

Several epidemiological studies have observed an inverse relationship between people's habitual frequency of eating and body weight, leading to the suggestion that a ‘nibbling’ meal pattern may help in the avoidance of obesity. A review of all pertinent studies shows that, although many fail to find any significant relationship, the relationship is consistently inverse in those that do observe a relationship. However, this finding is highly vulnerable to the probable confounding effects of post hoc changes in dietary patterns as a consequence of weight gain and to dietary under-reporting which undoubtedly invalidates some of the studies. We conclude that the epidemiological evidence is at best very weak, and almost certainly represents an artefact. A detailed review of the possible mechanistic explanations for a metabolic advantage of nibbling meal patterns failed to reveal significant benefits in respect of energy expenditure. Although some short-term studies suggest that the thermic effect of feeding is higher when an isoenergetic test load is divided into multiple small meals, other studies refute this, and most are neutral. More importantly, studies using whole-body calorimetry and doubly-labelled water to assess total 24h energy expenditure find no difference between nibbling and gorging. Finally, with the exception of a single study, there is no evidence that weight loss on hypoenergetic regimens is altered by meal frequency. We conclude that any effects of meal pattern on the regulation of body weight are likely to be mediated through effects on the food intake side of the energy balance equation.

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There is also some evidence that snacks are more prone to being under-reported.
“There is also some evidence that snacks are more prone to being under-reported( 108 ).”
From Understanding meal patterns: definitions, methodology and impact on nutrient intake and diet quality (2015) · cites this paper as [108]
Because eating frequency is positively related to energy intake, it may be that those who under-report energy intake also under-report their eating frequency.
“As eating frequency is positively related to EI, it may be that those who under-report EI also under-report their eating frequency( 45 , 108 ).”
From Understanding meal patterns: definitions, methodology and impact on nutrient intake and diet quality (2015) · cites this paper as [108]
Overweight and obese individuals have been found to have different eating habits in comparison with normal-weight individuals, including morning anorexia and consumption of larger food amounts in the afternoon and evening as well as a higher eating frequency.
“Overweight and obese individuals have been found to have different eating habits in comparison with normal-weight individuals, including morning anorexia and consumption of larger food amounts in the afternoon and evening as well as a higher eating frequency (14,20 -22) .”
From A high eating frequency is associated with an overall healthy lifestyle in middle-aged men and women and reduced likelihood of general and central obesity in men (2010) · cites this paper as [21]

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Authors: Bellisle, F., McDevitt, R., & Prentice, A. M.
Affiliations: Inserm (FR)
ORCID: Bellisle, France
Prentice, Andrew M.
Venue: British Journal of Nutrition
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published: 1997-04
Volume: 77
Issue: S1
Pages: S57-S70
ISSN: 0007-1145 (ISSN-L)
1475-2662
DOI: 10.1079/bjn19970104
OpenAlex: W2017993004
Cited by: 279
References: 47
Citations by year: 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 12
FWCI: 0.57
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: bronze
doi.org
Licence: www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified, 3629 d)
Locations: British Journal Of Nutrition (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Dietary Effects on Health
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
Keywords: meal frequency, energy balance, obesity prevention, body weight regulation, energy expenditure, thermic effect of feeding, hypocaloric diet, dietary intake
MeSH terms: Adolescent, Adult, Body Weight, Child, Diet, Energy Metabolism, Feeding Behavior, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity

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