Why do we have to eat dinner?

Searched over 200M research papers

Summary

2 papers analyzed

These studies suggest that eating dinner, especially late or with a high caloric intake, can increase the risk of obesity and metabolic issues.

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19 papers analyzed

Introduction

Eating dinner is a common practice in many cultures, but the timing and composition of this meal can have significant impacts on health. Research has explored how consuming calories later in the day affects metabolic health, obesity, and other related conditions.

Key Insights

Increased Risk of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome:
- Consuming a larger portion of daily caloric intake at dinner is associated with a higher risk of developing obesity, metabolic syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
- Eating a late dinner (22:00) can lead to higher glucose levels, delayed triglyceride peaks, and reduced fatty acid oxidation, which may promote obesity if this pattern is habitual.

Conclusion

Eating a significant portion of daily calories at dinner, especially late in the evening, is linked to increased risks of obesity and metabolic disorders. These findings suggest that the timing and size of dinner can have important implications for metabolic health.

Sources and full results

Most relevant research papers on this topic

Consuming More of Daily Caloric Intake at Dinner Predisposes to Obesity. A 6-Year Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study

Eating more of the daily caloric intake at dinner is associated with an increased risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

125 Citations

2014

DOI

Metabolic Effects of Late Dinner in Healthy Volunteers - A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial.

Late dinner induces nocturnal glucose intolerance and reduces fatty acid oxidation and mobilization, potentially promoting obesity if recurred chronically.

56 Citations

2020

DOI

Associations between family dinner frequency and specific food behaviors among grade six, seven, and eight students from Ontario and Nova Scotia.

Higher family dinner frequency is associated with less soft drink consumption, consuming breakfast, lower body weight concerns, and higher self-efficacy for healthy eating at home and with friends.

74 Citations

2009

DOI

Why do we Eat? Children's and Adults’ Understanding of Why we Eat Different Meals

Children and adults understand eating primarily for physiological needs and desires, with routine being a secondary reason for eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and biological justifications becoming more important in middle childhood.

2 Citations

2011

DOI

Eating dinner away from home: Perspectives of middle-to high-income parents

Eating dinner away from home is reinforcing for middle-to high-income parents due to quality family time, picky eating, and perceived costs, while home cooking is hindered by early school lunch and after-school sports.

40 Citations

2016

DOI

Late dinner impairs glucose tolerance in MTNR1B risk allele carriers: A randomized, cross-over study.

Eating dinner earlier may improve glucose tolerance, especially in MTNR1B risk-carriers.

73 Citations

2017

DOI

Family Dinner and Disordered Eating Behaviors in a Large Cohort of Adolescents

Eating family dinner at least most days is associated with a reduced risk of disordered eating behaviors in female adolescents.

69 Citations

2009

DOI

Healthy eating index-C is positively associated with family dinner frequency among students in grades 6–8 from Southern Ontario, Canada

Increased family dinner meals are positively associated with daily diet quality and negatively associated with breakfast and lunch skipping in students in grades 6-8 from Southern Ontario, Canada.

94 Citations

2010

DOI

Eating fruits and vegetables. An ethnographic study of American and French family dinners

The French model for dinnertime prioritizes fruits and vegetables more than the American model, leading to lower childhood obesity rates.

23 Citations

2015

DOI

Social Facilitation of Eating Among Friends and Strangers

Eating with friends and strangers leads to larger meals, with the mere presence of others being more important than the specific number of people present.

213 Citations

1994

DOI

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