Inconsistent eating time is associated with obesity: A prospective study

Obesity is characterized by an accumulation of redundant body fat linked to metabolic dysregulation and low-grade systemic inflammation. Lifestyle choices are imperative determining factors of obesity. The contemporary lifestyle is associated with behaviors that disrupt circadian rhythms, impacting metabolic homeostasis. Our animal and human studies suggest that circadian phenotypes could be related to the risk of metabolic dysregulation and obesity. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of inconsistent eating habits on body weight in adults. Individuals who presented for colon cancer screening were enrolled. Subjects received structured questionnaires to capture 7-day eating and sleeping times in a week prospectively. Bodyweight and height were extracted from medical records, and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Inconsistent eating times were defined as an average difference of >2 hours between the largest meal on weekdays and weekends. Forty-nine of the 61 (80.3 %) individuals enrolled in the study completed the questionnaires. The mean age and standard deviation (SD) were 60.8 (7.9), and 27 (55.1 %) were male. Subjects with inconsistent eating times had a significantly higher BMI (33.8 ± 3.6 SD, n = 9) than subjects who did not (27.5 ± 6.5 SD, n = 40; p = 0.001). The highest BMI was observed in subjects who ate inconsistently and late (35.8 ± 4.6 SD). In this cross-sectional study, time of eating habits was associated with BMI. Controlled cohort studies are needed to determine the potential link between eating time and the risk of obesity in the long term.

肥胖以体内多余脂肪堆积为特征，该表现与代谢失调及低度全身性炎症密切相关。生活方式选择是肥胖发生的关键决定因素。现代生活方式所伴随的相关行为会扰乱昼夜节律，进而影响代谢稳态。我们开展的动物实验与人体研究均表明，昼夜节律表型可能与代谢失调及肥胖风险存在关联。本研究旨在探讨进食习惯不规律对成年人体重的影响。研究招募了前来接受结肠癌筛查的个体作为受试者。所有受试者均需填写结构化问卷，以前瞻性收集一周内7天的进食与睡眠时间。研究人员从受试者的医疗记录中提取身高与体重数据，并计算其体质指数（Body Mass Index, BMI）。进食时间不规律被定义为：工作日与周末的正餐峰值时间平均差异大于2小时。本研究共招募61名受试者，其中49名（80.3%）完成了全部问卷调研。受试者的平均年龄为60.8岁，标准差（standard deviation, SD）为7.9，其中男性27名，占比55.1%。进食时间不规律的受试者的BMI为33.8±3.6（n=9），显著高于进食规律的受试者（27.5±6.5，n=40；p=0.001）。进食不规律且进食时间较晚的受试者，其BMI最高，为35.8±4.6。本项横断面研究显示，进食时间习惯与BMI存在显著关联。未来仍需开展对照队列研究，以明确进食时间与长期肥胖风险之间的潜在关联。