Background: Although a belief commonly held by society, it is unclear whether eating a greater proportion of energy in the evening contributes to the development of obesity.
Aim: This systematic review investigates the association between the proportion of daily energy intake consumed in the evening and weight outcomes in adults.
Methods: A search of seven major databases yielded 6975 results published from 1928-2016. Of these, 94 full texts were reviewed and 13 studies were eligible for inclusion in the review. Studies were included if the primary outcomes were weight and BMI. Eligible studies needed to specify the proportion of daily energy intake consumed during the evening. As there is no consensus regarding the definition of ‘evening’ intake, we used broad definitions including; energy consumed after 19:00, energy consumed during and after the evening/main meal or the definition used by the authors. Eligible studies were cross sectional, cohort longitudinal and randomised controlled trials.
Results: Complete results for this review will be available by the conference dates.
Discussion: Understanding the relationship between the distribution of daily energy intake and weight may help to shape dietary recommendations for obesity prevention and treatment for the general population and also specific groups such as night workers