Late Night Snacks

Published May 20, 2010

We’ve all heard it before: eating late causes you to gain weight. It should be no surprise to know that America suffers from one of the worst (if not the worst) obesity problem in the world. There is definitely no lack of food here. So, what gives? Are Americans overweight because they are lazy? Is it because they have too much money to purchase food? Is it because they have too little money and can only afford the cheaper, less healthy food?

There are a number of factors that play into why America is suffering at the hands of a wide spread obesity epidemic. For starters, there are many people who believe that the obesity epidemic has been caused by those who are snacking late into the night- past bedtime. However, there is much more to it than this. Eating late at night is not a myth…not really. Traditionally, eating late at night is not seen as a good thing because most people are a lot less active late at night. In fact, most people are in bed asleep. The thought there is that someone will get up, go to the refrigerator, snack on something and then go back to bed. If you are someone who does this, there is a good chance that you will gain weight. At night, when your body is less active, you are metabolizing things a lot differently- a lot slower. Therefore, most of what you eat, which doesn’t get stored as energy, turns into fat. When you are awake during the day, you are more active, therefore you are metabolizing food at a higher rate. Because of this, less of what you eat turns into fat.

However, there is also the fact that if you eat foods that aren’t good for you, you will gain weight. For example, my grandmother has been battling weight issues ever since my grandfather died over twenty years ago. For her, food was a comfort. Just the other week when I spoke to her, she was mentioning how she will get up in the middle of the night and have a few chocolate chip cookies with milk because it makes her feel better and helps her sleep. If you think about it, a few chocolate chip cookies every now and then won’t hurt you, but if you find yourself eating half a package of chocolate chip cookies every couple of nights, time will begin to tell on you.

Ideally, to keep off the weight, you need to consume less calories. If you’re not as active as other people, you especially need to be aware of your calorie intake. The morning is the best time to consume foods that are rich in carbohydrates. Then, as the day wears on, try to stick to foods that are lower in carbs and higher in protein. A few hours before you usually go to bed, try not to eat anything. Before meals, make sure that you have a glass of water. Drinking fluids such as water before you sit down to eat will help you not to eat as much. Additionally, take smaller bites when you are eating. Eat slowly. If you have to, put your fork or spoon down in between each bite. Eating slowly not only aids in digestion, but it gives you an opportunity to feel full- thereby limiting your food intake.

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Late Night Snacks

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