Study Links Later Meal Timing to Higher Mortality Risk in Adults 40 and Older

Study Links Later Meal Timing to Higher Mortality Risk in Adults 40 and Older

An analysis of more than 31,000 U.S. adults found that eating the first meal of the day after noon or the final meal after midnight was associated with higher all-cause mortality and shorter estimated life expectancy, though researchers cautioned that the observational findings do not establish cause and effect.

Study Associates Meal Timing With Mortality Risk in Adults 40 and Older

Meal Timing Associated With Mortality Risk, Analysis Finds Meal timing was associated with mortality risk in a large analysis of U.S. adults ages 40 and older, according to an August 10, 2026, report by registered dietitian nutritionist Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN. The report, based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), found that adults whose first meal of the day came after noon had a 29% higher risk of death…