Researchers find eating time affects how the body stores fat and regulates appetite hormones. 

Most of us have heard that eating after 8pm will lead to weight gain.  But some refuse to believe it, while others insist it is true.  Well, a recent study by Harvard Medical School proved that WHEN we eat does in fact significantly impact how our bodies burn calories, how hungry we are, and how our bodies store fat. 

This study confirmed previous research linking late day eating with an increased risk of obesity, increased body fat, and impaired weight loss.  But, by carefully controlling other variables and taking regular blood samples of participants, this study also went a level deeper to understand WHY the time of day makes such a difference. What this study showed was that eating later in the day had profound effects on hunger and the appetite-regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin, which influence our drive to eat. Specifically, levels of the hormone leptin, which signals satiety, were decreased. 

Study results also showed that when participants ate later calories were burned at a slower rate and there was an increase in the amount of fat the body stored. 

To learn more on the research go to: 

 news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/10/study-looks-at-why-late-night-eating-increases-obesity-risk/