Late-evening food intake is associated with cardiometabolic risk. We assessed the prevalence of late-evening and night-time eating in individuals with type 2 diabetes and its association with BMI and HbA1c. We hypothesized food intake during late evening and night-time to be prevalent among individuals with type 2 diabetes and to be associated with higher BMI and higher HbA1c. This cross-sectional analysis includes 348 adults with type 2 diabetes from an outpatient diabetes clinic in Denmark. Frequency of late-evening and night-time eating was assessed from a food frequency questionnaire and clinical data were obtained from electronic medical records. Participants were divided into those reporting to eat frequently (≥3 times/week) in the evening after dinner and/or during night-time (late-eaters) and those who did not (reference group) and BMI and HbA1c levels were compared between groups with and without adjustment for diabetes duration and antidiabetic medication. 42% of the study population reported to eat frequently (≥3 times/week) in the late evening and 8% reported to do so during the night. Most late-eaters reported to eat breakfast regularly, suggesting a long eating window and short fasting period in this group. BMI and HbA1c did not differ between late-eaters and the reference group. Eating late in the evening or during the night was prevalent among individuals with type 2 diabetes across BMI and HbA1c levels. Whether restriction of food intake during evening and night-time can induce weight loss and improve glycemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes needs testing in randomized controlled trials.
Keywords: Evening snacking; Food intake; Night-time snacking; Obesity; Overweight; Type 2 diabetes.
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