Key Message: There is no evidence that snacking boots metabolism
Action Point: Snack quality is more important than frequency and should take into account the individual’s lifestyle
You may not know it, but “snacking” is a uniquely American tradition – and a recent one at that. In most cultures, people do not snack between main meals. Only in America do the majority of people snack. What’s more, a 2011 report from the US Department of Agriculture found that Americans now snack twice as often as they did in the late 1970s.
The reasons for this are varied. Some people say they eat between meals because they believe this is healthy or will help them control their weight; others report eating because of cravings for sweet or salty foods; while some snack out of simple boredom or to deal with unsettling emotions – so-called “emotional eating.”
There is no doubt the latter two reasons for snacking are unhealthy. But the idea that eating small meals regularly may be healthy – in particular, that it may keep the metabolism “revved up” throughout the day – has become widespread. Unfortunately, recent studies have shown no evidence that eating more often boosts metabolism, and in most cases, the added calories from snacking simply lead to a higher calorie intake over the day and thus an increased chance of becoming overweight.
Studies have shown that the jump in metabolic rate or thermic effect of food is not dependent on meal frequency however there has been some research to show that there is a slight benefit to appetite control when six meals are consumed compared to three and eating less than three meals per day is unfavourable for appetite control.
Both the Evidence Analysis Library of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and experts at a 2009 symposium on eating frequency and energy balance concluded that scientific evidence pointing to an ideal eating frequency for weight control doesn’t exist at this time.1
Snacks may boost diet quality or lead to excess intakes of transfats, added sugars and sodium. Although there is still much debate about the health value of snacking, nearly all experts agree that snack quality is important.
So while there is still considerable interest in eating frequency, there seems to be no ideal pattern. However as research into these factors continues, the best pattern may be the one most suitable to a person’s individual lifestyle.
Note – I often see in my weight loss clients that they are leptin resistant, and treatment for this involves zero snacking. You can read more about how leptin depletes your mojo here (http://www.emmasutherland.com.au/index.php/2014/10/leptin-the-missing-link-for-weight-loss-and-mojo/)
References
- Weisenberger, J (2015) ‘What science says about snacking’ Food and Nutrition News Online. Accessed on 25th September 2015 at
http://www.foodandnutrition.org/July-August-2015/What-Science-Says-about-Snacking/
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Written by: Sandra Di Giacomo |
