Late-night eating, poor sleep quality, and emotional eating: Stronger predictors of overweight and obesity than social jetlag and eating jetlag.

Abstract

Social jetlag (SJL) and eating jetlag (EJL) have been proposed as behavioral indicators of circadian misalignment; however, evidence linking these indicators to obesity remains inconsistent. This cross-sectional, case-control study examined whether higher SJL and EJL levels were associated with increased odds of overweight or obesity. A total of 444 adults (n = 211 with a healthy body weight and n = 233 with overweight/obesity) were included. Sleep quality, chronotype, and night eating behaviors were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), and Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ), respectively. Cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating were evaluated using the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ). Circadian misalignment was measured using SJL, sleep-corrected SJL (SJLsc), EJL, and meal-specific jetlag metrics. Individuals with higher body mass index were older and more likely to exhibit morning chronotype characteristics, whereas evening types demonstrated greater SJLsc. Neither SJL nor EJL emerged as independent predictors of overweight/obesity, suggesting that weekly variability in sleep or eating timing may play a limited role in this population. Poor sleep quality, emotional eating, and the timing of the last eating event, rather than variability in meal timing, were associated with obesity. Weight management interventions should prioritize absolute meal timing, unhealthy eating behaviors, and sleep quality.