Breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day,
but lunch – and the timing of it – could have even more
importance for people who are trying to lose weight. According
to a study published online this week in the International
Journal of Obesity, research showed that subjects in Spain who
ate lunch relatively early lost an average of 22 pounds during a
20-week span, compared with 17 pounds lost by the group who ate
lunch later. Since this is Europe we're talking about, an
"early" lunch was before 3 p.m., while "late" meant after that
time. But the study could lead to a better understanding about
optimum times to eat certain meals, and whether unusual
mealtimes might affect sleep patterns. The authors noted, for
instance, that those who ate lunch later were more inclined to
have eaten a lighter breakfast, or skipped it altogether.
Breakfast and dinner didn't influence weight loss, the study
said.