Dr. Dave Steuer is an established Portland physician who guided Maine Endodontic Partners for many years. Health focused in his personal as well as professional life, Dr. Dave Steuer’s areas of interest include nutrition and weight loss, and he has authored books on the topic.

Beyond diet and fitness, one of the major factors involved in weight loss is the circadian rhythm, or the 24-hour cycle of mental, physical, and behavioral changes. Driven by a biological clock within the brain, the circadian rhythm is highly influenced by exposure to light.

The body’s master clock is linked with “peripheral clocks” in the organs and muscles that together impact the way in which carbs, calories, and fats are metabolized. As reported by CNN, one 2013 study focused on 420 obese and overweight participants who were separated into late and early-eater groups.

The latter group tended to eat full calorie breakfasts and consume lunch before 3 p.m., while the late eaters consumed lunch after 3 p.m. They also ate smaller breakfasts or skipped their morning meal altogether. After a 20-week study period, during which all participants consumed 1,400 calories each day and ate similar amounts of protein, fat, and carbs, the late eaters lost only 17 pounds, while the early eaters lost 22 pounds.

Researchers surmised that the circadian system impacted the way in which the nutrients consumed were absorbed, digested, and metabolized depending on time, through a process known as “diet-induced thermogenesis.” A key recommendation was that it makes sense to eat breakfast and “front-load” wherever possible, even to the point of consuming what would normally be eaten for dinner at lunchtime.