Shedding Common Weight-Loss Foibles: Late Night Snacking

There's a lot of folklore surrounding late night eating, with a common myth claiming that food eaten late at night will digest slowly and contribute to weight gain. But is this myth founded in reality?  Trolling the internet for concrete scientific answers leads to some concrete.......confusion.  One scientific study (for example, one published in the journal "Obesity") claims that late night eating, especially if done among late sleepers, leads to greater weight gain, while another (published in the British Medical Journal) claims that late night eating will not lead to increased weight gain. 

So what's the right answer?  Well, if you dig deeper into these studies, you'll find that there are a combination of habits that determine whether late-night eating will cause weight gain. Particularly important are the quality and quantity of nutrition throughout the day.  It seems as though weight gain from late night eating is more likely when the subjects have had poor nutrition (either through infrequent meals or meals with poor nutrient value) throughout the day, leading them to binge eat more calories than they need at night.  Typically, these late night eaters would not have planned a late night meal and will tend to eat commercially prepared high-calorie snack foods on a spontaneous basis at night.  Weight gain among late-night eaters is not as much of an issue among those who have had nutritious foods at appropriate intervals throughout the day. 

In order to limit weight gain from late night snacking, you have to either plan to quit late-night snacking outright, or plan for the late night snack to be part of your daily food intake.  Which of these two options you choose will really depend on your personality type and frequency of late-night snacking.   Occasional late-night snackers or those who prefer sudden or "cold-turkey" approaches may find quitting easier.  Frequent late-night eaters or those who have failed the "cold turkey" approach will find planning for late-night eating more realistic. 

Suggestions for quitting late night snacking include:
1) Brushing your teeth immediately after dinner
2) Doing some activity that keeps you occupied enough to not eat.  For example, going for a walk, exercising, doing anything on a to-do list (there's always something!). 
3) Drinking water instead of snacking.  It's often been said that people often unconsciously confuse hunger with thirst.

For those who are unwilling or unable to completely quit late night snacking, the following suggestions might be helpful:
1) Plan ahead for a healthy late-night snack and keep it readily accessible.  This will prevent you from spontaneously eating bad foods. Try to use the late-night snack as an opportunity to consume fresh (i.e. raw) fruits and vegetables.  These are typically low on calories and high on nutrients, so if there is any truth to the increased-absorption-at-night-theory, it's better the body absorb nutrients rather than empty calories. 
2) If you find you binge on certain high-calorie low nutrient snack foods late at night, rid your home of those foods and restock with a healthier version of that food.
3) Instead of eating, drink.  In addition to rehydrating your body, fluids such as caffeine-free herbal tea or a cup of skim milk provide a great way to feel full without consuming too many calories.