Association of meal time patterns with dietary intake and body mass index: a chrononutrition approach from NHANES 2017-2018

Mar 27, 2025European journal of clinical nutrition

How Meal Timing Relates to Diet and Body Weight: Insights from NHANES 2017-2018

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Abstract

A decrease in the sleep end-first meal interval is associated with increased total energy consumption and dietary components.

Increased total caloric intake, carbohydrates, protein, fat, and sugar consumption is linked to a shorter sleep end-first meal interval.
A longer eating window and increased energy intake after 8 pm are associated with higher dietary intake.
Higher BMI is associated with an increase in the sleep end-first meal interval for individuals with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m².
For individuals with a BMI < 25 kg/m², a longer eating window is associated with an increase in BMI.

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BACKGROUND: Chrononutrition studies suggest that eating later and extending the eating window are linked to higher energy intake and obesity. However, the relationship between chrononutrition variables and dietary intake, as well as with BMI, is still little explored at a population level. This study explored how chrononutrition variables relate to dietary intake and BMI at a population level.

METHODS: We analyzed data from the NHANES 2017-2018, including 2937 participants aged 18 years or older. Dietary intake was assessed by two 24-h dietary recalls. Caloric midpoint, eating window duration, sleep end-first meal and last meal-sleep onset intervals were determined by mealtime.

RESULTS: The findings indicate a trend of increased total consumption of energy (kcal) (p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.001), carbohydrates (g) (p = 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.001); protein (g) (p < 0.001; p = 0.008; p < 0.001; p < 0.001), fat (g) (p < 0.001; p = 0.007; p < 0.001; p < 0.001), and sugar (g) (p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.001) as the sleep end-first meal interval decreases and the last meal-sleep onset interval, eating window, and energy intake after 8 pm increases, respectively. In addition, our findings suggest a trend of increased BMI in the group with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² (p = 0.018) as sleep end-first meal interval increases and in the group with BMI < 25 kg/m² (p = 0.006) as the eating window increases.

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that eating later and having longer eating window are associated with higher dietary intake and higher BMI.

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Association of meal time patterns with dietary intake and body mass index: a chrononutrition approach from NHANES 2017-2018

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