Meal Times Change as People Age
A major new study has found that older adults tend to eat breakfast and dinner later as they get older, and this change in meal schedules may be linked to poorer health and shorter life expectancy. Researchers followed nearly 3,000 people in the UK for over two decades, asking them when they ate their meals and about their health and lifestyle.
Delayed Breakfast and Dinner Linked to Health Problems
The study found that with increasing age, most people postponed their breakfast and dinner times. Those who experienced more health issues such as fatigue, depression, anxiety, and poor oral health or had difficulty preparing meals also tended to eat breakfast later. Interestingly, older adults with a genetic tendency to be “night owls” (preferring to stay up late) were also more likely to delay their mealtimes.
Late Breakfast Associated with Higher Death Risk
One of the most important discoveries was that eating breakfast later was tied to a higher risk of death among older adults, even after considering factors like age, sex, sleep, education, and lifestyle. In fact, those who regularly ate breakfast later had lower 10-year survival rates compared to those who ate breakfast early: 86.7% for late eaters versus 89.5% for early eaters.
Why Does Meal Timing Matter?
Experts say that meal timing affects the body’s internal clock, which controls many essential functions such as metabolism and sleep patterns. Mistimed meals especially eating late at night can disturb these rhythms and are believed to contribute to weight gain, diabetes, and other health problems. While much past research focused on young people and shift workers, this study shows that changes in meal timing are also common as people grow older and may indicate underlying health problems.
Simple Changes May Support Healthy Aging
The findings suggest that tracking and adjusting meal timing, especially eating breakfast earlier, could be a simple way to support better health in older adults. Experts recommend regular routines and early meals as part of healthy aging, though more research is needed to see if changing meal timing can directly extend lifespan.
