Less frequent eating predicts greater weight gain in female adolescents

More evidence that skipping meals and snacks can have a deleterious effect on metabolism that promotes weight gain is offered in a study on female adolescents published recently in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The authors state:

"The study aim was to assess the prospective relation of an objective measure of eating frequency with adiposity in girls from ages 9–10 to 19–20 y(ear olds)."

They examined data diet records collected from 2372 girls in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study for the frequency of meals and snacks in relation to 10 year changes in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). The data showed a clear trend across the board:

"Eating frequency was lower in black and older girls than in white and younger girls. In whites, lower initial snack and total eating frequencies were related to greater 10-y increases in BMI and WC. In blacks, lower initial meal and snack frequencies were related to greater increases in BMI and WC. Also, in blacks, lower initial total eating frequency was related to greater increases in WC. After adjustment for baseline adiposity measure, race, parental education, physical activity, television and video viewing, total energy intake, and dieting for weight loss, lower initial total eating frequency remained related to greater 10-y increases in BMI and WC."

In other words, regardless of the variables examined, eating less frequently for adolescent girls predicted getting fatter. Why? In a clinical context this should be tested on an individual basis, but going too long between meals and snacks can result in a down regulation of thyroid activity and insulin resistance secondary to blood sugar dysregulation, both promoters of weight gain. The authors conclude:

"A lower eating frequency predicts a greater gain in adiposity in adolescent females. Intervention trials are needed to test if changing the frequency of eating can affect obesity risk."