Biological Clock Linked to Teens’ Late-Night Eating Habits

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University reveals a distinct relationship between circadian rhythms, weight, and eating habits in teens, a vulnerable age group whose eating patterns influence their life-long health.

Researchers found that teens with obesity ate more later in the day than their peers of healthy weight, and that their eating behaviors were strongly influenced by their internal body clock.

In the study, adolescents who had overweight or obesity consumed more calories later compared to participants with healthy weights, with results demonstrating that circadian rhythms play a critical role in explaining later caloric intake in individuals at risk for obesity. Results are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Adolescents in the obesity and overweight groups consumed significantly more calories in the circadian evening compared to those in the healthy weight group. Researchers found no significant differences in total sleep time between or within the groups across sleep cycles.

This study uniquely highlights the correlation between weight class, calories consumed, and circadian rhythms in adolescents, an under-researched population whose current eating patterns will play a crucial role in shaping their long-term health as adults.

Fifty-one male and female adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 (mean age of 13.7 years) participated in this study. Teens were divided into three groups based on body mass index (BMI); 24 were in the healthy weight group, 13 in the overweight group, and 14 in the obesity group.

The results showed that changes in the circadian system throughout the day and night significantly influenced food consumption across all participants.

In all three groups, food intake peaked in the late afternoon and early evening and was lowest in the morning, even after accounting for behavioral and environmental factors, demonstrating that the body’s biological clock directly impacts how much we eat at different times of the day.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-biological-clock-linked-teens-late.html