The late Dr Michael Mosley's simple advice to eat dinner earlier in the evening has been backed by research showing significant weight loss. A study involving 82 overweight women found that those who finished their evening meal by 7:30pm lost an average of 15lb over 12 weeks, compared to less than 11lb for those who ate later.
Conducted by the University of Nottingham and Tehran University of Medical Sciences, the trial recruited healthy but overweight women who typically ate dinner after 10pm. Half were asked to eat by 7:30pm, while the others continued as usual. Both groups consumed similar calories, yet the early eaters lost an extra 4lb and an additional inch from their waistlines, along with improved cholesterol and blood fat levels.
Dr Mosley explained that late-night eating disrupts the body's internal clock genes, increasing the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. A separate study from Johns Hopkins University found that eating within an hour of bedtime leads to 10% less fat burned overnight compared to stopping three hours before sleep.
The health guru, who passed away in 2024, recommended this simple timing change as a low-effort weight loss strategy. He noted that the body struggles to digest large amounts of food at night, making late snacks particularly detrimental.
