A study done at Northwestern University in the United Sates showed that mice who ate a high-fat diet during the time when they would normally be sleeping gained more weight than their counterparts which didn't. This is the first study of its kind to link meal time with weight gain. The researchers conclude from the study that the disruption to the body's natural clock, or circadian rhythm, could have something to do with the difference in weight gain. Circadian rhythm is our biological clock controlled by light and it is disrupted when we sleep at the wrong times or are active during times when we normally would be sleeping.
In the study, two groups of mice were given a high fat diet for six weeks. They were allowed to eat as much of the food as they wanted. In the first group, they were given the food for 12 hours during the time in which mice are normally awake. The second group was given the food during the time that mice are normally asleep. The amount of food they ate and the amount of daily activity in the two groups was the same. At the end of the six weeks the mice in the first group gained on average of 4.4 g, or 20% , while the mice in the second group gained 10.4 g or 47%.
