Association of Nightly Fasting, Meal Frequency, and Skipping Meals with Metabolic Syndrome among Kuwaiti Adults.

Mounting evidence suggests that meal timing and frequency are associated with cardiometabolic health by influencing circadian rhythms. However, the evidence is inconsistent and limited, especially in non-Western cultures. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the association between temporal habits of dietary intake, such as nightly fasting duration and meal frequency, and metabolic syndrome among Kuwaiti adults. A 24-hour recall was used to assess temporal habits of dietary intake. Meal frequency was defined as the number of daily eating episodes. The study included a total of 757 adults aged 20 years and older. The participants' mean age was 37.8 ± 12.3 years. After adjusting for all confounders, higher meal frequency was found to be associated with a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adults (OR, 0.43; 95%CI, 0.19-0.96) and a lower prevalence of elevated triglycerides in men only (OR, 0.23; 95%CI, 0.09-0.60). No association was found between nightly fasting and metabolic syndrome, but a longer fasting duration was associated with a lower prevalence of elevated triglycerides (OR, 0.19; 95%CI, 0.06-0.63). The findings suggest that having frequent meals and longer durations of nightly fasting may help decrease the risk of metabolic syndrome and elevated triglycerides.

Dietary Habits, Meal Timing, and Meal Frequency in Kuwaiti Adults: Analysis of the Kuwait National Nutrition Surveillance Data.

Dietary habits, including meal frequency, meal timing, and skipping meals, have been extensively studied due to their association with the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). This study describes dietary habits, meal timing, frequency, skipping meals, and late-night eating in Kuwaiti adults. Kuwait National Nutrition Surveillance System data were utilized to reach the objectives of this study. The findings reveal that approximately 54% of the adults in Kuwait eat after 10 p.m., 29% skip breakfast, and 9.8% skip dinner. Furthermore, adults in Kuwait consume 4.4 meals per day on average. Women skip breakfast more often and have more extended night fasting than men (p < 0.001). Married adults skip breakfast and dinner less than unmarried adults (p < 0.001). In conclusion, this descriptive study provides valuable insights into the dietary habits of Kuwaiti adults, emphasizing the importance of further investigating the association between meal timing, meal frequency, and the prevalence of NCDs in Kuwait.

Meal Timing, Meal Frequency and Metabolic Syndrome.

Individuals with metabolic syndrome have increased risk for developing health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Modifiable risk factors, such as exercise and diet, are key components in the prevention and control of metabolic syndrome. Specifically, dietary patterns and habits are extremely successful in controlling more than one of the metabolic syndrome risk factors. Meal timing and frequency have been associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other chronic conditions. However, there is limited evidence linking metabolic syndrome to meal timing and meal frequency. This review summarizes and discusses how meal timing and frequency impact metabolic outcomes in adults.