Among older adults, eating meals late—particularly breakfast—can be a sign of health issues including depression, fatigue and even an increased risk of premature death.

This is the conclusion of researchers from Mass General Brigham who tracked 2,945 adults aged 42 to 94 over the course of two decades, analyzing their meal timing, lifestyle factors, blood samples and overall health outcomes.

The team’s analysis found that as people age, mealtimes tend to shift later, with breakfast and dinner both moving further into the day. At the same time, the window of eating hours narrows.

Importantly, those who delayed breakfast were found to have an increased risk of death during the study period.

“These results add new meaning to the saying that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day,’ especially for older individuals,” said paper author and nutrition scientist Hassan Dashti in a statement.

“For this population, maintaining regular and consistent meal times may be more supportive of better health and aging, but more research is needed to support this hypothesis,” Dashti told Newsweek.

He added that “later meal timing, especially delayed breakfast, is tied to both health challenges and increased mortality risk in older adults.”

The research, the team said, highlights how shifts in mealtime patterns could signal—or even influence—overall health in aging populations.

The study also found that genetics and lifestyle play a role. People predisposed to being “night owls,” as well as those with poor sleep or difficulty preparing meals, were more likely to eat later.

Dashti, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, said that meal timing could provide a simple but powerful tool for promoting healthy aging.

“Patients and clinicians can possibly use shifts in mealtime routines as an early warning sign to look into underlying physical and mental health issues,” he said.

To explore how these findings translate into daily habits, Newsweek reached out to Dr. Rimas Geige, a medical doctor and registered dietician. Geige, who owns the doctor-led aesthetics practice ‘It’s Me & You Clinic’ in Surrey, England, explained that not everyone in this age group can manage a large breakfast like a bowl of oatmeal with berries and nuts.

Based on his experience, he said: “I’ve noticed that patients who start with a light yet nutrient-rich option, like toast with almond butter and a banana, fare much better. This combination is light but balanced, giving older people steady energy without leaving them feeling overwhelmed.”

Intermittent Fasting May Not Always Be Beneficial

The results arrive as intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating continue to gain popularity. A 2020 YouGov survey of more than 1,200 U.S. adults found that most Americans have altered their diets at some point—56 percent to lose weight and 54 percent to improve their health.

However, when it comes to eating plans that alternate between periods of food intake and voluntary fasting—emphasizing when you eat rather than what you eat—age can play a significant role.

Dashti told Newsweek: “Intermittent fasting has well-documented benefits from decades of research.

“Our study did not directly evaluate this. What we did find is that delaying meals, something that can resemble a form of “fasting”, may not always be beneficial for older adults, especially if it is not intentional.”

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Reference

Dashti, H. S., Liu, C., Deng, H., Sharma, A., Payton, A., Maharani, A., & Didikoglu, A. (2025). Meal timing trajectories in older adults and their associations with morbidity, genetic profiles, and mortality. Communications Medicine, 5(1), 385. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-025-01035-x