The Perils of Late-Night Snacking

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s Hopkins Health Alert

The Perils of Late-Night Snacking

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Recently a reader asked us: Does eating after 8 P.M. cause weight gain? In theory, weight control is a simple matter of balancing energy intake (the amount of calories supplied by food) with energy output. But when it comes to weight control, nothing is simple. Here's what we know.

When you eat doesn't matter -- it's how much you eat and exercise that makes the difference. If you take in more calories than you need, your body will store them as fat no matter what time you eat. That said, here are some good reasons to avoid eating just before bedtime:

The foods people tend to eat at night are high-fat, high-calorie foods such as ice cream, chips, cookies, and other snack foods.

Eating spicy, fatty, or high-acid foods during the three hours before lying down can contribute to gastroesophageal reflux (heartburn), in which stomach contents rise up into the esophagus and cause burning pain. If you're prone to heartburn, avoid evening eating, and if you must eat, steer clear of irritating foods such as citrus fruits, chocolate, spicy foods, high-fat foods, and drinks that contain alcohol or caffeine.

If you snack while watching TV, it's easy to overeat, because you're distracted (and most of the commercials are encouraging you to eat more!). You plan to eat just a couple of chips, and before you know it, you've gobbled up a whole bag.

If you are hungry in the evening, choose a small, filling snack such as an apple or a half serving of whole-grain cereal with milk. And be sure to include before-bed snacking in your daily calorie plan -- if you can't sleep without a bite to eat, save some calories from earlier in the day.