DDHK. ORG – Eating after 8 pm makes you fat? Really? Or just a myth.
For some people, especially those who are on a diet, many avoid dinner so they don't get fat. This custom is considered not healthy.
Quoted from Healthline, the idea of dinner making you gain weight comes from animal studies. Some researchers argue that eating at night conflicts with circadian rhythms, namely the 24-hour cycle that tells our bodies when to sleep, eat and be active.
Based on the circadian rhythm, night is a time to rest, not time to eat.
Several animal studies support this theory. Mice that ate contrary to their circadian rhythms gained significantly more weight than mice that only ate during waking hours.
Eat How Much
But keep in mind, not all human studies support this idea. Research in humans actually shows, what matters is not when we eat, but how much food we eat.
For example, a study on more than 1.600 children found no association between eating dinner after 8 p.m. and being overweight.
In this study, study participants who ate later also did not seem to consume more total calories. However, when researchers tracked the eating habits of 52 adults, they found that participants who ate after 8 p.m. consumed more calories than participants who ate earlier.
The extra calories consumed by people eating too late can cause weight gain over time.
It turns out that eating at night can lead to weight gain only if we eat excess calories.
Based on information on WebMD that was launched Kompas, so that we don't overeat at night, pay attention to the food consumed, avoid eating while watching TV or movies, and choose foods with controlled portions.
Some good choices are healthy snacks, such as fresh fruit and vegetables. [DDHK News]
