Study Links 2 Simple Eating Habits to Lasting Lower Weight

A study of 7,074 adults found that eating breakfast and dinner earlier, plus fasting longer overnight, was linked to a lower BMI five years later.

Later breakfast times and more frequent eating were associated with a higher BMI over the same period.

The pattern was strongest in premenopausal women, and researchers said it may be tied to circadian rhythms.

The study was observational, so it could not prove that meal timing directly causes weight changes.