The need for controlled studies of the effects of meal frequency on health

Abstract

Thus, from an evolutionary perspective, human beings were adapted to intermittent feeding rather than to grazing. Although eating three or more meals every day can promote rapid growth and sexual maturation in children, it might not be the healthiest dietary pattern for adults. Indeed, the rising tide of obesity in many developed countries occurs among individuals who consume several large meals per day. Overeating is now widely accepted as a major cause of premature death from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancers, 3 but surprisingly, few studies have determined how meal frequency affects health and disease risk. Nevertheless, individuals in the health-care professions and in the lay press have repeatedly stated that consumption of smaller and more frequent meals is healthier than that of larger and less frequent meals. This advice is given despite the lack of clear scientific evidence to justify it. Studies that have attempted to determine the effects of meal frequency on health have resulted in mixed conclusions. For example, an early survey study 4