Causes and Effects of Eating Late At Night
Whenever doctors specify a diet schedule, they always pay considerable attention to the timing of each meal. This is because the timing of meals determines the health of an individual. Keeping this in view, eating late at night is one of the habits that are strongly discouraged by all doctors. This is because it has proved to cause several health problems. The causes of late-night eating and its consequences are highlighted below.
Firstly, some of the general reasons for eating late at night include the fact that people, usually after departing late from workplace, tend to complete other tasks like shopping and exercise, before they come home and have their meals (Koufman, 2014). This results in the consumption of the meal late into the night. Moreover, some of these people also overeat because they usually leave without sufficient breakfast and skip their lunches too. As a result, their meal at night becomes the largest meal of the day (Koufman, 2014).
Moreover, some scientists have conducted researches into what prompts eating late at night. According to a study published in the journal ‘Obesity’, the urge to eat at night is caused by the body’s cicardian system (Monahan, 2013). This system results in raised level of appetite at night that “promotes larger, more caloric meals before the fasting period of sleep” (Monahan, 2013). Hence, it stimulates the urge to have a high-calories snack just before sleeping.
Furthermore, eating at night is also the result of the syndrome by the name of ‘night eating syndrome’ (Miller, 2013). People affected by this syndrome do most of their eating at night. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the patients of this syndrome consumed fifty five percent of their daily calories between the time of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. (Miller, 2013). The causes of night eating syndrome are not well-established, but fingers are usually pointed at depression or addiction.
The effect of eating late at night includes weight gain. According to a study published in the journal ‘Obesity’, the habit of late-night eating does cause an increase in weight (O’Connor, 2011). This is because not only did the late-sleepers consume a high-calories dinner but they also sleep fewer hours, which is often linked to gain in weight (O’Connor, 2011).
Moreover, late-night eating can also lead to a condition known as acid reflux (Koufman, 2014). Its symptoms include heartburn and indigestion. Acid reflux can also cause esophageal cancer if grows unchecked. Not only is the late-night eating contributing to the increasing number of cases of acid reflux, but also the food portions consumed in the late hours cause this condition. Even though Europeans also eat late into the night, the acid reflux cases there are comparatively less because they have controlled food portions at night (Koufman, 2014).
Furthermore, eating late at night can also disturb sleep. Foods and beverages containing caffeine will obviously disrupt sleep. Also, eating spicy food late at night can also result in disturbed sleep. Moreover, it is often advised to take only modest-sized snack at night instead of a large meal. Also, foods containing fluids are also not advisable because they prompt washroom visits in the middle of the night and, therefore, do not encourage sound sleeping.
Therefore, the eating at night can be caused by the circadian system or just becomes a part of the daily routine. Its effects can be extremely harmful, ranging from heartburn to cancer, and hence needs to be strongly discouraged.
Works Cited
Koufman, Jamie A. (2014. Oct. 25).The Dangers of Eating Late at Night. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/opinion/sunday/the-dangers-of-eating-late-at-night.html?_r=0
Miller, Michael Craig. (2013, Sep. 13. Nighttime overeating can throw weight and health out of sync. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nighttime-overeating-can-throw-weight-and-health-out-of-sync-201309136658
Monahan, Maureen. (2013, May 30). What Causes Late Night Snack Cravings? Retrieved from http://mentalfloss.com/article/50818/what-causes-late-night-snack-cravings
O’Connor, Anahad. (2011, May 16). Does Late-Night Eating Cause Weight Gain? Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/health/17really.html
