Many a time, a hectic lifestyle and the urge to lose weight compels people to skip meals. While it may seem inconsequential at first, going too long between meals can have some serious health consequences in the long run. Food powers every system in our bodies, so every part of the body is affected when you skip a meal. A new study has suggested that going without one of the standard three meals a day might have serious implications, Science Alert reported.
The study which took into account 24,011 US adults over 40, claimed that having only one meal a day was linked to a higher mortality risk. Meanwhile, those who skip breakfast are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease-associated death. Among participants with three meals per day, a meal interval of fewer than 4.5 hours in two adjacent meals was associated with higher all-cause mortality.
"Our research revealed that individuals eating only one meal a day are more likely to die than those who had more daily meals. Based on these findings, we recommend eating at least two to three meals spread throughout the day," said epidemiologist Yangbo Sun from the University of Tennessee.
The study also noted that people who smoked more, drank more alcohol, were more food insecure, who ate less nutritious food and had more snacks, are the ones more likely to skip meals.
''Our research contributes much-needed evidence about the association between eating behaviours and mortality in the context of meal timing and duration of the daily prandial [meal] period,'' epidemiologist Wei Bao from the University of Iowa added.
The study attributes factors like working hours, time pressures, poverty, different dieting, and fasting approach, as the common reasons behind people not opting to eat three meals a day.
Skipping meals could also hurt a person's mental well-being, and highly impact cognitive functions ranging from attention to problem-solving. Another study published by Cambridge University Press in 2019 showed that people who skipped meals were more likely to develop mood disorders. Missing a meal can cause blood sugar to crash and lead to mood swings.
