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Why Late Night Snacking is So Bad For You
Eating late packs on more pounds than eating earlier and, ironically, leaves you hungrier the next day
Eating late at night disrupts sleep and makes you more likely to gain weight and less able to lose the pounds later, all of which fuels a vicious cycle of daytime sluggishness, junk-food cravings, and late-night snacking that lead to a legion of physical and mental diseases.
The science on all that is well established. Now scientists have a clearer picture why. The upshot for you: One small behavioral change could dramatically alter your sleep quality, energy level and overall health and well-being.
Researchers had 16 overweight and obese volunteers eat the same meals during two days-long experiments. The only change was to shift all the meals four hours later in one of the two experiment periods.
When they ate late at night, the participants’ burned calories at a slower rate for the next 24 hours and had lower body temperatures, two classic signs of slower metabolism that can lead to weight gain. Making matters worse, the next day and into the following night, the odds of feeling hungry—expressing a greater desire to eat—doubled after late-night eating.
