The association among chronotype, timing of food intake and food preferences depends on body mass status

Sep 22, 2016European journal of clinical nutrition

How body weight influences the links between sleep timing, meal times, and food choices

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Abstract

Among 400 participants, 171 subjects were evaluated for dietary habits and obesity in relation to their chronotype.

Normal-weight individuals with a morning chronotype consumed more energy and nutrients at breakfast and lunch compared to those with an evening chronotype.
Evening-type normal-weight subjects had a higher intake of food at dinner, while overweight subjects showed the opposite pattern.
A significant interaction between chronotype and body mass index was observed regarding dinner energy and nutrient intake.
Morningness was associated with a higher intake of fruit among participants.
The timing of food intake aligned with chronotype in normal-weight subjects, but overweight/obese individuals displayed patterns misaligned with their biological rhythms.

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BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have shown that individuals with circadian preferences for the evening (wake up later and reach maximum activity in the afternoon) have distorted dietary habits and misregulated body weight. Therefore, the present study was conducted to analyse the possible relationships between 'morningness' or 'eveningness' (chronotype), dietary habits and the level of obesity.

SUBJECTS/METHODS: Among 400 participants, 171 subjects finished the follow-up period and were evaluated. Anthropometric, clinical and dietary parameters were analysed; the Horne-Östberg test was used to determine chronotype. A hypocaloric-behavioural intervention was performed in the overweight/obese subjects.

RESULTS: In normal-weight subjects, the morningness group ingested most of their energy and nutrients at breakfast and lunch, whereas the eveningness group showed a higher intake at dinner, corresponding with their chronotypes. A significant interaction was revealed between chronotype and body mass index regarding the energy and nutrients consumed at dinner (P<0.05 in all cases), as in the normal-weight subjects the evening food intake was higher in the eveningness group, but in the overweight subjects the situation was inverse. In addition, the food preferences were related to the chronotype, as the morningness subjects showed a higher intake of fruit (P<0.010).

CONCLUSIONS: The timing of food intake corresponded to the chronotype in the normal-weight subjects; however, the overweight/obese subjects showed intake patterns removed from their physiological rhythms. These findings may indicate a need to design specific diets based not only on the total energy expenditure but also on the chronotype, as an indicator of the biological rhythms.

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The association among chronotype, timing of food intake and food preferences depends on body mass status

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