Eating at night really might cause weight gain!

Espressocycle
Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
in Food and Nutrition
(in altered mice anyway)

http://www.philly.com/philly/health/20121126_Study_of_link_between_night_eating_and_the_peculiar_internal_clock_of_fat_cells.html

Altered to get hungry by day instead of night (when they would usually eat), mice got fat on the same calories regular mice ate. After adding fish oil to their diets, the altered mice didn't get fat.

One can never extrapolate too much with these initial mouse studies, but I might be adding fish oil to my regimen - can't hurt, right? Probably won't help either - my dad has always taken fish oil and other vitamins and he's an overweight diabetic.

Replies

  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Depends.

    Here's why it does not in my house:

    We're eating most nights at around 8:30pm. For me this is AFTER Zumba class where I'm burning around 500 calories. If I eat earlier it is before yoga where I'm sweating in a bucket-of-sweat manner.

    My friends that are from places like Italy all eat late. It's the quality of the food though. (they are very big on the quality)

    It's not the late dinner time that KILLS me. It's the snacks in front of the TV after I've already met my calories for the day. The mindless eating at 10pm kills me. Not the 8:30pm dinners.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member

    One can never extrapolate too much with these initial mouse studies, but I might be adding fish oil to my regimen - can't hurt, right? Probably won't help either - my dad has always taken fish oil and other vitamins and he's an overweight diabetic.

    My husband has Chron's Disease and relies on fish oil pills to help keep him in remission. Reduces inflammation. Helps the heart. I say keep it up with those fish pills. He's been in remission since 2008 so it's really helping.
  • quiksandy
    quiksandy Posts: 246 Member
    Fascinating. I might try my own personal study with my husband. He's a big night snacker!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I eat late nearly every night and I lost weight. But I also take fish pills and eat a lot of fatty fish.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member

    My husband has Chron's Disease and relies on fish oil pills to help keep him in remission. Reduces inflammation. Helps the heart. I say keep it up with those fish pills. He's been in remission since 2008 so it's really helping.

    Yeah, I figure there are enough possible benefits of fish oil that if just one of them helps me, it's worth it. I have joint pain, digestion issues, slow metabolism and and one quarter of my family tree that rarely makes it to 65, so what the heck.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    Gee, I was really hoping for a good ol' battle with the calories in/calories out crew (of which I am one, usually)
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    I'm glad I'm not a mouse, especially an 'altered' one.

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