Skipping breakfast, night eating tied to faster weight, waist circumference gains

People who frequently skip breakfast and eat at night have faster increases in weight and waist circumference (WC), according to a China study.

Some 48,150 Chinese adults (mean age 50.1 years) who were free of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer in 2014 were included in this longitudinal study. Questionnaires were used to obtain data on dietary intake and the presence of night-eating behaviour and skipping breakfast.

The researchers repeatedly measured weight and WC in 2014, 2016, and 2018. They also explored the associations between night eating and/or skipping breakfast and annual changes in weight and WC using generalized estimating equation models, adjusting for age, sex, total energy, diet quality, and other potential confounders.

During the 4-year follow-up, individuals who frequently skipped breakfast and had night eating experienced faster gains in weight (mean difference in annual change, 0.53 kg, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.43‒0.63) and WC (mean difference in annual change, 0.41 cm, 95 percent CI, 0.27‒0.55) relative to those without either behaviour.

The associations between these eating behaviours and changes in weight and WC were stronger in participants with higher baseline BMI than their counterparts, as well as in those with poorer diet quality compared with individuals with better diet quality.

“Individuals with frequent skipping breakfast and/or night eating experienced faster gains in weight and WC, even after adjusting for diet quality and energy intake,” the researchers said.