Have you ever wondered, "how often should I eat?" While some people say snacking throughout the day prevents overeating at mealtimes, others argue that grazing leads to constant thoughts about food and more total calories consumed. What do the researchers say?

A recent symposium (conference) brought together experts to provide an overview of research on the potential role of eating patterns in the development of overweight and obesity. Evidence both for and against frequent eating and snacking were discussed, including studies in free-living adults and adults fed in a laboratory setting.

While the consensus was that more carefully controlled, laboratory-based studies need to be conducted and from those results the most promising eating patterns should be further tested for real-world effectiveness in behavioral interventions, the following are interesting current findings:

• Based on studies of free-living adults, there is a lack of evidence to support a role for eating frequency in energy balance. This is primarily due to individuals underreporting energy (calorie) intake and weaknesses in existing study designs.
• Based on controlled feeding studies (i.e., subjects eating prepared snacks/meals in a laboratory setting), there may be a small benefit to appetite of eating 6 meals/day relative to eating 3 meals/day, and eating less than 3 meals/day may negatively affect appetite. However, these studies also have weaknesses in their methodology (e.g., short-term, small sample size).
• Based on both studies of free-living adults and controlled feeding studies, snacking, or eating between meals, especially in a non-hungry state, is detrimental to energy regulation and likely leads to weight gain.

Thus, it currently looks like eating 3-6 times a day is preferred, provided that energy intake (calories) at each eating occasion is monitored so that total daily energy (calories) does not exceed requirements. When hungry between meals, a small healthy snack may prevent overeating at the next meal.

But how often do we really evaluate our hunger before snacking? Think about the snacks you had today (or yesterday). Why did you eat? Because it was there? Because you were bored or stressed? Because it smelled or looked good? Because someone else was eating? Or did you purposefully seek out a snack because you were physically hungry?

A previous blog describes the increase in snacking over the past 30 years and increase in total daily calories due to snacks. It also lists the top 5 sources of snack calories: desserts, salty snacks, other snacks, sweetened beverages, and juices/fruit. Somehow I doubt that most desserts and salty snacks eaten between meals are eaten in response to true physical hunger.   

So if you're trying to maintain or lose weight in the new year, start with this simple tip:

BEFORE you pick up a piece of food between meals ask yourself, "Am I really hungry? Or am I eating because of some external trigger (food-focused festivities like parties, get-togethers, and sporting events, the weather, busy schedules, fatigue ) or internal trigger (loneliness, depression, feeling overwhelmed, irritability)?" If you're not physically hungry, find something else to do. If you are physically hungry, choose a small (100 calorie) healthy snack and then get back to what you were doing.

McCrory, M.A. (2011). Effects of eating frequency, snacking, and breakfast skipping on energy regulation: symposium overview. The Journal of Nutrition, 141, 144-147.