Teenagers who eat snacks throughout the day are less likely to be overweight or obese.
Researchers studied 5,800 American teens and found that obesity and abdominal obesity were reduced if the youth ate snacks. Their findings are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
In fact, the obesity rate was 39% among those who did not snack, compared to a rate of 30% for those who ate two snacks during the day, 28% for those who ate 3 snacks and 22% among those who enjoyed four or more snacks per day.
In the past, several studies have linked weight gain to snacking. Others have advocated eating several small meals a day instead of three big ones.
Obviously, more snacks means smaller meals to balance out the daily caloric intake.
In addition, the study reveals that the rate of obesity was 24% among those who ate three meals, while it was 11% for the group who ate four snacks a day.
Researchers want to continue this research over a longer period to confirm the theory that snacking is ultimately beneficial.