Irregular Weekend Schedules Linked To Obesity In New Study

The weekends are a break from our day-to-day work life, which often means abiding by a different schedule. A new study has found this "eating jet lag" (or changing up your typical schedule on the weekend) can lead to a higher BMI1 and may even be linked with obesity.  

To better streamline this process, the scientists created the term "eating jet lag" to measure variability in eating habits during the weekend. To determine this marker, they looked at what time participants typically ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the weekend as compared to a typical weekday. The "jet lag" was classified as a difference of more than 3.5 hours when comparing meals across days of the week. 

Researchers found that participants who experienced eating jet lag had a higher risk of obesity, with an average BMI increase of 1.34 kg/m2.

As an explanation for this link between obesity and eating jet lag, the authors of the study blame something called "chronodisruption," where there is a lack of consistency between the body's own internal time and the social time the person is experiencing.

The authors of this study say that more research is needed to examine the reason behind this discovered link and are looking for more explanations for the physiological mechanisms behind eating jet lag that contribute to a higher BMI and greater risk of obesity.

In the meantime, researchers urge people to try their best during the weekend to maintain a consistent schedule. Although it can be tough, eating and sleeping schedules have a large impact on our health and can contribute to our risk of obesity.