LATE DINNER AND ITS IMPACT ON OBESITY AND METABOLIC SYNDROME
Jana DUSHKOSKA, Olga GIGOPULU, Gjoshe STEFKOV
Abstract
Meal timing is increasingly recognized as a critical determinant of metabolic health, alongside diet quality and caloric intake. Late-night eating—particularly dinner consumed close to sleep onset—has been associated with obesity, impaired glucose metabolism, and features of metabolic syndrome. This study investigated the relationship between late dinner habits and metabolic outcomes in young adults, integrating evidence from a cross-sectional survey and a comprehensive literature review. A survey with 30 adult volunteers, from Skopje, North Macedonia, aged 28–35 years, with a validated questionnaire, assessing dinner timing, dietary patterns, and self-reported health conditions; anthropometric data was completed. Among participants, 70% reported eating dinner after 21:00. Late eaters had higher prevalence of overweight (67% vs. 22% in early eaters) and metabolic conditions, including diabetes, elevated cholesterol, fatty liver, hypertension, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Most late eaters (85%) consumed high-fat or high-sugar meals. These observations align with extensive human studies showing that late meals are linked to higher body mass index, reduced insulin sensitivity, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidaemia, and altered energy expenditure, independent of total energy intake. Mechanistic evidence implicates circadian misalignment, disrupted secretion of appetite-regulating hormones, impaired diet-induced thermogenesis, and perturbation of gut microbiome rhythms. Behavioral and social factors such as skipping breakfast, irregular work schedules, and evening social activities further contribute to delayed meal timing. Collectively, these findings indicate that late dinner consumption is a modifiable behavioral risk factor with clinically meaningful implications. Promoting earlier, balanced dinners and aligning meal timing with the body’s circadian rhythm may support metabolic health, prevent obesity, and reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome in young adults and the general population.
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