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No matter how busy you are, always make time to eat

Eat more often, weigh less

Date published: 8/31/2008

Eat more often, and you'll end up eating and weighing less.

It sounds like a paradox, but repeated studies show that people who eat three to five times a day weigh less than people who skip meals. That's likely because if you wait until you're ravenous, your hunger will blind you, and you'll want to eat everything in sight.

When your stomach has been growling awhile, it's much harder to choose a chicken salad, and way easier to order a super-size burger and fries.

Eating at least every four hours was the magic frequency in a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture study of 5,600 Americans. People who waited five hours between meals ate an extra 52 calories per meal. If they waited six hours between meals, they ate an extra 91 calories at the meal.

That may not sound like much, but according to my calculations, an extra 91 calories twice a day could cause weight gain of 19 pounds a year.

The researchers found people who worked more hours were more likely to wait longer between meals.

Many international studies show more meals add up to less weight. For example, a study of 4,400 German kindergartners compared kids who ate three meals a day to those who ate five or more times. The children who ate more often were half as likely to be obese.

The odds are similar for adults. Massachusetts adults who ate four or more times per day were half as likely to be obese compared to those who ate three or less times. And folks who skipped breakfast fared worst--they were 4.5 times more likely to be obese.

A separate Harvard study of 20,000 physicians found that those who ate breakfast were less likely to gain weight than those who skipped breakfast.

Skipping breakfast worsens cholesterol levels and insulin sensitivity, a risk factor for diabetes, according to British scientists.

American researchers found similar results with healthy Maryland volunteers. Compared to people who ate the same number of calories divided over the usual three meals, people who ate only once a day had higher blood sugar levels.

EAT OUT, WEIGH MORE

It's not just how often you eat, but where you eat. People tend to eat more calories at restaurants than they do at home--about 107 calories more per meal, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture study.

Jennifer Motl is a registered dietitian. Formerly of Fredericksburg, she now lives in Wisconsin.

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Date published: 8/31/2008