New research shows that greater energy expenditure after eating meals in the morning rather than eating in the evening is under the control of a person's circadian rhythm. This important observation provides an explanation of why individuals who primarily eat late in the evening may have greater difficulty with weight loss. It also provides support for the adage that "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." The research led by Drs. Han-Chow Koh and Frank Scheer was recently published in the journal Metabolism (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42190872/).
The same team has recently been awarded NIH funding through the Boston Area Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) to further study the impact of the circadian clock by investigating whether misalignment of body rhythms affects the secretion of incretins (the same GLP-1 hormones used to treat diabetes and obesity) and whether timing of meals can blunt any effects of the misalighment.