Consequence of omitting or adding a meal in man on body composition, food intake, and metabolism.

Objective: To investigate in man the consequence on body composition and related biological and metabolic parameters of omitting or adding a meal. Research Methods and Procedures: Twenty-four young normal-weight male subjects were recruited, 12 usual four-meal and 12 usual three-meal eaters, differing only in the consumption of an afternoon meal. They omitted or added a fourth meal during a 28-day habituation period and were asked to report their intake on three 3-day occasions. Before and after this habituation period, subjects participated in a session with a time-blinded procedure, and blood was collected continuously from lunch to the spontaneously requested dinner. Body composition, re…