Association between eating frequency, weight, and health
Abstract
There is speculation amongst health professionals, the media, and the public regarding eating frequency (EF) and its impact on weight and health. Nutritional weight-loss and -maintenance interventions of longer than 1 week's duration were reviewed for associations between EF and weight and health. Of the 176 studies identified, 25 relevant studies matched the criteria and only 10 of these were weight-loss interventions. Generally, sample sizes were small, interventions were short-term, and a wide array of definitions was used to define an eating occasion. Several key outcomes such as physical activity, adherence to assigned EF, and hunger were often not measured. The limited evidence available suggests there is no association between EF and weight or health in either weight-loss or -maintenance interventions, with a possible inverse association between EF and lipids in weight-maintenance interventions. Longer term, larger studies that include important weight and health outcomes are needed.
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A meal pattern with omission of breakfast and lunch was related to a clustering of less healthy lifestyle factors and food choice leading to poorer nutrient intake.
“Sjöberg et al. studied meal patterns, food choice and lifestyle factors in 1518 boys and girls and found that a meal pattern with omission of breakfast and lunch was related to a clustering of less healthy lifestyle factors (e.g.smoking and consumption of snacks) and food choice leading to poorer nutrient intake (41) .”
From Meal irregularity and cardiometabolic consequences: results from observational and intervention studies (2016) · cites this paper as [41]
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- Authors
- Palmer, M. A., Capra, S., & Baines, S. K.
- Affiliations
- Griffith University (AU)
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- University of Newcastle Australia (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Palmer, Michelle A
- Venue
- Nutrition Reviews
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2009-07
- Volume
- 67
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 379-390
- ISSN
- 0029-6643 (ISSN-L)
- 1753-4887
- OpenAlex
- W2092327567
- Cited by
- 86
- References
- 58
- Citations by year
- 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 0.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Nutrition Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Dietary Effects on Health
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Keywords
- meal frequency, weight loss, weight maintenance, dietary intervention, dietary adherence, hunger, physical activity, serum lipids, eating occasions
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Blood Pressure, Body Weight, Diabetes Mellitus, Feeding Behavior, Female, Health Status, Heart Diseases, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity, Weight Loss, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Young Adult
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