Here is a contrary study to the science you cited.
Same question: Does late night eating cause weight gain? Two reputable universities came to two dissimilar conclusions on the same question. I didn’t cite this to oppose your argument. That wasn’t my purpose. I was attempting to make the point that when it comes to exercise and nutritional science, human nature is fluid.
As a guideline we should avoid smoking if we want to live a long and healthy life. Yet, the great jazz musician Hubie Blake who died at age 103 smoked from the time he was a preteen. Go figure. Remember the guy in the movie Supersize me who said he ate about 5 big macs per day for years. He wasn’t overweight and the doctors said his blood work was good. Once again, go figure.
When you have two contrary empirical studies to the same question, what do you turn to-anecdotes? Years of anecdotes have taught me that as a guideline, it’s best not to eat late at night. Why? Let’s connect the dots. Our body’s circadian rhythm slows our metabolism as we approach our bedtime. It does this otherwise we’d be wired and not be able to fall asleep. This is why as a general rule (doesn’t apply to everyone) it’s best not to drink caffeinated coffee at night.
In the late evening as our body approaches it bedtime, our body will expend calories to digest whatever we eat. But it will not utilize it in the same way as it would during the early part of the day. Yes. I agree with you it matters what you eat to an extent. Ice cream would be worse. Hamburgers and french fries would be bad. Yet even if it was a mixed green salad with salmon on the side if it’s right before bed, your body will be more inclined to convert and store it as fat. It’s your body’s circadian rhythm cycle’s way of maintaining homeostasis.
Am I dogmatic to say everyone who does this will gain weight? No. But as a general guideline if some one wanted to lose weight within a prescribed time frame, and they asked me if they should eat their last meal at 7 p.m. or 10 p.m. right before they go to bed, that’s a no-brainer.
It’s very easy to cherry pick a scientific study when we want it to conform to our prejudice. We run with that study and become dogmatic and closed minded in our beliefs. I’ve been there. I’m guilty of that. Years later, I’ve learned to search out a contrary study, weight both, and if they both have persuasive arguments, look for anecdotes.
This doesn’t mean you dismiss all scientific studies. It means you can now adopt a guideline while knowing it will have fluidity in it. If I asked 1000 people to jump off the empire state building, 1000 people would die. Gravity is a hard science certainty. But if I asked 1000 people to smoke, maybe 800 will die an early death, 200 may live to be 100. The point, no scientific exercise or nutritional study is a set in stone irrefutable law. Let’s remember that less we become dogmatic and close-minded in what we believe.
