The Effect of Meal Frequency on Body Composition, Biochemical Parameters and Diet Quality in Overweight/Obese Individuals.

Objectives: There is no consensus on the ideal frequency of meals for the prevention and treatment of obesity. While some studies have reported that increasing meal frequency might be beneficial in the treatment of obesity due to its positive effects on glycemic regulation, appetite and diet quality, other studies have reported negative effects. In this study, it was aimed to examine the effect of meal frequency on body composition, anthropometric measurements, some of the biochemical parameters and diet quality in overweight/obese adults.

Methods: A total of 91 individuals, all overweight/obese, between the ages of 18-64, including 46 consuming 2 main meals (2MMG) and 45 consuming 3 main meals (3MMG) participated in the study. General characteristics and dietary habits of the individuals were obtained with a questionnaire. A 3-day food consumption record was taken to determine their daily energy and nutrient intake and to evaluate their diet quality with the "Healthy Eating Index 2015". Anthropometric measurements of the individuals were performed, body compositions were analyzed and some blood parameters were evaluated.

Results: The median values of body weight, lean body mass (kg), total body water, basal metabolic rate and hip circumference of men in the 3MMG were found to be higher than men in the 2MMG (p < 0.05). The anthropometric measurements and body composition components of women were similar between the two groups (p > 0.05). The renal urea nitrogen and total cholesterol values of women in 2MMG were higher than those of women in the 3MMG. In the regression analysis, a 1-unit increase in the number of main meals was determined to lead to a 9.3 points increase in the total score of HEI 2015.

Conclusions: Regular consumption of main meals may have positive effects on diet quality, some of the biochemical parameters, basal metabolic rate and body composition in overweight/obese adults. In this group, which is known to have incorrect food preferences in general, it is important to plan the number of meals and the content of these meals correctly.