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.