Losing weight Does supper usually make you overweight?

Eat like a king in the morning, like a beggar in the evening - Is that true?

Many working people have little time for food in the morning and at noon. For many, there is a sumptuous meal in the evening. Schnitzel with fries, roast with potatoes or pasta with Bolognese sauce for dinner are not uncommon. Rumors have long been circulating that evening meals are more on the hips than other foods. What's wrong with this rumor? Various studies have focused on the subject.

Researchers at the University of Sydney prepared an analysis that systematically considered the relationship between evening energy intake and adult weight. To this end, they evaluated the results of several studies on the subject. Observational studies were considered that focused on the relationship between BMI and evening energy intake. In addition, intervention studies were evaluated that compared groups that either ate little or no at night.

Many working people eat the main meal of the day in the evening. Does this result in a faster weight gain? (Image: Floydine / fotolia.com)

What does the BMI say??

Body mass was determined in the Body Mass Index (BMI) studies. This correlates body size with body weight and thus makes it possible to roughly classify whether a person is underweight, normal or overweight. According to this classification, persons with a BMI between 18.5 and 25 have a normal body weight. From a BMI of 25, a person is considered overweight. If this value rises above 30, physicians speak of obesity.

Confusing results

In the observational studies, the researchers examined ten works under the microscope. This created a confusing picture, because four of the ten studies showed a positive correlation between a large evening calorie intake and increasing BMI. Five other studies failed to establish this link. And an observational study even showed a weight reduction. Overall, the researchers could not establish a significant relationship.

For the time being no differences in the weight change recognizable

The meta-analysis of the intervention studies also showed no difference in the weight change between the groups who ate either little or much at night. However, the researchers complained that many studies had a high risk of bias. Clear evidence could not be provided by the present clinical studies. The result of the scientists was thus: Better controlled intervention studies are required.

Further studies

An English meta-analysis also showed the trend: eating in the evening does not make you fat. The English researchers examined the eating habits of children and teenagers in the years 2008 to 2012. The results showed that the subjects who ate between 8 pm and 10 pm had no higher risk of overweight than peers with evening meals before 8 pm.

Not the time but the total decides

Which time of day makes sense for large meals? "Much more important than the time of meals is the amount of energy consumed throughout the day," explains nutritionist Harald Seitz of the Federal Institute for Agriculture and Food. That applies to children and adults alike. If you eat a lot in between, you lose the overview easily. This could be reflected on the scale.

Fixed meals, less snacks

Seitz says it's easier to eat the right foods and reasonable portion sizes with scheduled meals. Of course, this must be tailored to the everyday life of the individual. In addition to a balanced diet, sufficient exercise and enough sleep also play an important role in maintaining a healthy body weight. (Vb)