The Time of Day of Food Intake Influences Overall Intake in Humans
Open Access
- 1 January 2004
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Elsevier BV in Journal of Nutrition
- Vol. 134 (1), 104-111
- https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/134.1.104
Abstract
Circadian and diurnal rhythms affect food intake, and earlier research has suggested that meal sizes increase, whereas the after-meal intervals and satiety ratios decrease over the day. We hypothesized that the time of day of food intake would be related to total intake such that intake early in the day would tend to reduce overall intake, whereas intake later in the day would tend to increase intake over the entire day. The intakes of 375 male and 492 female free-living individuals, previously obtained via 7-d diet diaries, were reanalyzed. The total and meal intakes of food energy, the amounts of the macronutrients ingested and the density of intake occurring during five 4-h periods (0600–0959, 1000–1359, 1400–1759, 1800–2159 and 2200–0159 h) were identified and related to overall and meal intakes during the entire day. The proportion of intake in the morning was negatively correlated with overall intake (r = −0.13, P < 0.01), whereas the proportion ingested late in the evening was positively correlated with overall intake (r = 0.14, P < 0.01). The energy densities of intake during all periods of the day were positively related to overall intake (range, r = 0.13–0.23, P < 0.01). The results suggest that low energy density intake during any portion of the day can reduce overall intake, that intake in the morning is particularly satiating and can reduce the total amount ingested for the day, and that intake in the late night lacks satiating value and can result in greater overall daily intake.Keywords
This publication has 43 references indexed in Scilit:
- When identical twins differ: an analysis of intrapair differences in the spontaneous eating behavior and attitudes of free-living monozygotic twinsPhysiology & Behavior, 2004
- Palatability and intake relationships in free-living humans characterization and independence of influence in North AmericansPhysiology & Behavior, 2000
- The relationship of cognitive restraint to the spontaneous food and fluid intake of free-living humansPhysiology & Behavior, 1995
- A twin study of genetic and environmental influences on the intake of fluids and beveragesPhysiology & Behavior, 1993
- Social facilitation of eating: Effects of social instruction on food intakePhysiology & Behavior, 1992
- Social facilitation of the spontaneous meal size of humans occurs on both weekdays and weekendsPhysiology & Behavior, 1991
- Meal to meal energy balance in ratsPhysiology & Behavior, 1984
- Circadian organization of food intake and meal patterns in the rat☆Physiology & Behavior, 1981
- Multiple Comparisons among MeansJournal of the American Statistical Association, 1961
- Diets of Bank Clerks Development of a Method of Classifying the Diets of Individuals for Use in Epidemiological StudiesJournal of the Royal Statistical Society. Series A (General), 1961