There does appear to be an inverse association between weight and eating frequency. That is, the heavier a person is, the less often they eat. In fact, research suggests that people of normal weight and formerly obese people who have maintained their weight loss eat about four times per day, compared with obese people.
Benefits include:
· A decrease in hunger and an increase in fullness, which can potentially prevent overeating. In fact, when people become very hungry the risk increases that they will choose unhealthy high-calorie foods, such as pizza and soda. This can lead to eating too much at one sitting.
· More opportunities to consume healthy foods such as fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
Potential disadvantages include:
· Choosing snacks that do not leave us satisfied, which can lead to overeating later in the day.
· More mindless eating. Unhealthy food options are everywhere to tempt us. We learn to respond to cues, such as food availability, rather than hunger and fullness. This can lead to overeating. Eating three meals a day can help us resist tempting foods and overeating. This helps promote weight loss.
