Meal Timing in Older Adults May Signal Health Risks: Study Finds

A new study published in Communications Medicine reveals that the timing of meals in older adults-particularly breakfast-may serve as an early indicator of health risks and even predict mortality. Conducted by researchers from Mass General Brigham and international collaborators, the study found that aging is associated with gradual changes in mealtime routines, with delayed breakfast linked to poorer health outcomes and an increased risk of early death. To explore how mealtime patterns, relate to aging and health, the team analyzed data from 2,945 community-dwelling adults in the UK, aged 42 to 94, who were followed over two decades. This long-term dataset included health surveys, blood samples, and lifestyle assessments. Researchers found that as people aged, they tended to delay both breakfast and dinner and compressed the overall window in which they consumed food each day. The study also linked later breakfast times with a higher prevalence of health concerns such as fatigue, depression, oral health issues, sleep disturbances, and difficulty preparing meals. Individuals with a genetic predisposition to being “night owls” were more likely to exhibit these late meal patterns. Most notably, delayed breakfast was associated with a higher risk of death during the study period. The research was led by Hassan Dashti, PhD, RD, a nutrition scientist and circadian biologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Our research suggests that changes in when older adults eat, especially the timing of breakfast, could serve as an easy-to-monitor marker of their overall health status,” said Dashti. “Patients and clinicians can possibly use shifts in mealtime routines as an early warning sign to look into underlying physical and mental health issues.” The findings are particularly relevant in the context of growing trends like intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating, which may have different effects on aging populations. As the global population ages, maintaining regular and earlier mealtime habits could be a simple but powerful tool for promoting healthier, longer lives.