Research
Adherence
Epidemiological associations showing that nibblers are leaner than gorgers are likely artifacts caused by dietary under-reporting and reverse causality (omitting meals to lose weight).
Don't blame yourself for eating fewer meals. The idea that 'nibblers are leaner' is a statistical illusion caused by people hiding their snacking or skipping meals to lose weight. Focus on total calories, not the schedule.
GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
We conclude that the epidemiological evidence is at best very weak, and almost certainly represents an artefact.
Why this rating
Based on critical analysis of multiple epidemiological studies and known biases in dietary reporting.
Source
Meal frequency and energy balance
France Bellisle et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 1997
DOI 10.1079/bjn19970104
narrative_reviewCited 278×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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