A recent study examined the impact of a snack consumed after a standard lunch but before the subjects became hungry. The snack neither reduced the amount of food consumed at the dinner meal nor increased the time before the subjects requested their dinner meal. The results of this study suggest that snacking when not hungry may promote increased calorie intake and weight gain over time. When rich, highly palatable foods are readily available, food consumption may be triggered by mealtime or pleasure and not necessarily because of hunger or the need for extra calories. Eating breakfast may impact snacking behavior in overweight people.
Many obese people skip breakfast.
Another potential advantage in eating smaller, more frequent meals is that stomach capacity is likely to shrink. This study suggests that people who regularly eat smaller, more frequent meals will begin to feel more satisfied with less food over time. More research is needed to clarify the metabolic impact of snacking or increasing meal frequency on weight control and overall health. Further, whether the metabolic benefits of eating smaller, more frequent meals are blunted when the diet consists largely of low glycemic index foods is unclear. However, based on the available evidence, eating more natural, high-fiber, low glycemic index foods should be encouraged.