TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Early risers tend to be healthier eaters, study suggests
The early bird really does catch the worm, according to new research that shows early risers tend to have healthier diets.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
"Evening people" tend to have worse-quality sleep and are less physically active than morning types, according to a new study. (Shutterstock/File)
The early bird really does catch the worm, according to new research that shows early risers tend to have healthier diets.
The study, which was published in Obesity, the scientific journal of The Obesity Society (TOS), and led by Mirkka Maukonen of Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare at the Department of Public Health Solutions, found that those classified as “morning people” not only ate earlier in the day but continued to make healthier food choices after breakfast, as compared to “evening people,” who were found to eat more sucrose and fats.
“Early birds may have an extra advantage over night owls when it comes to fighting obesity as they are instinctively choosing to eat healthier foods earlier in the day,” Courtney Peterson of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and TOS spokesperson said as quoted by AFP.
Read also: Can breakfast help keep us thin? Nutrition science is tricky
Researchers used data from 1,854 participants aged 25 to 74 years old who took part in Finland’s national FINRISK 2007 study.
It was also found that evening types tended to have worse-quality sleep and were less physically active.
“Previous studies have shown that eating earlier in the day may help with weight loss and lower the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. What this new study shows is that our biological clocks not only affect our metabolism but also what we choose to eat,” said Peterson. “Linking what and when people eat to their biological clock type provides a fresh perspective on why certain people are more likely to make unhealthy food decisions." (sul/kes)
