Intermittent fasting has been a trend that has gained significant traction in recent years, especially among younger people. This doesn’t mean it’s a new practice; it just means it’s being talked about more now, and we know that social media is a major means of communication. A follow-up of nearly 3,000 older adults for more than 30 years reveals that delaying breakfast and dinner not only reflects health problems but is also associated with higher mortality. The study was conducted in the cities of Newcastle and Manchester, in the United Kingdom.
The study tracked mealtimes in older adults and their associations with morbidity and mortality
It all comes down to people’s eating habits, which to some extent are also directly related to their lifestyle, health, and exercise habits. The longitudinal study, led by professionals at Massachusetts General Hospital, tracked mealtimes in older adults and their associations with morbidity and mortality over a 30-year period.
Results: people ate breakfast 31 minutes after waking up and 5.38 hours before going to bed
The sample consisted of 2,945 people between the ages of 42 and 94, with an average age of 64. From 1983 to 2017, the timing of their four daily meals was recorded. On average, according to the results, people ate breakfast 31 minutes after waking up and 5.38 hours before going to bed. All this was thanks to the University of Manchester’s Longitudinal Study of Cognition in Normal and Healthy Aging. Over time, breakfast and dinner were delayed, the midpoint of intake shifted later, and the overall eating window shortened. This is probably something that may sound familiar to us as we move through life and routine ends up taking over most of our days.
“Physical and psychological illnesses, such as fatigue, depression, anxiety are primarily associated with a later breakfast”
For the analysis, they divided those who maintained a similar pattern of mealtimes and those who shifted toward later times. “Physical and psychological illnesses, such as fatigue, oral health problems, depression, anxiety, and multimorbidity, are primarily associated with a later breakfast. Genetic profiles related to an evening chronotype, but not obesity, are linked to later meals. A later breakfast schedule is also associated with higher mortality,” the experts explained after analyzing the results.
The 10-year survival rate of the “late group” was 86.7%, compared to 89.5% for the early group
There were other relevant data as well. For example, genetics and whether a person is more nocturnal or diurnal. People with this genetic predisposition ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner a few minutes later than others, and also had a shorter daily eating window. On the other hand, genes related to obesity did not show a clear association with mealtime, although they did show a clear association with the total time available for eating. The 10-year survival rate of the “late group” was 86.7%, compared to 89.5% for the early group. These findings reinforce the idea that the tendency to be an early riser or a night owl not only affects sleep, but also eating patterns.
In short, this study demonstrates and supports other previous research that claimed skipping breakfast led to higher mortality in older adults. So, as we’ve been told since we were children, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Especially if we skip dinner or eat dinner at different times every day.
