Eating late at night does not make you fat, according to a study. Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University in the US carried out tests on 47 female monkeys. They found no link between when the animals ate and whether or not they put on weight.

Speaking at a Society for Neuroscience meeting in New Orleans, the scientists said claims that eating late lead to weight gain may be "an urban myth".

The study was originally designed to find out more about the relationship between female hormones and weight gain. As part of the study, they surgically removed ovaries from 19 of the 47 monkeys. Removing the ovaries causes levels of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone to drop, in much the same way as happens with the menopause.

The scientists found that monkeys who had their ovaries removed started to eat more and put on weight. They also found that levels of a hormone called leptin increased in these monkeys. Leptin is produced by fat cells and is known to influence food intake.

Previous studies have found that many women start to put on weight during menopause. The scientists believe their findings could lead to treatments to help tackle that problem.

During the study, the scientists also found the monkeys ate their food at different times of the day. Many ate mostly in the evenings and at night. However, perhaps unexpectedly the researchers found no link between when the animals ate and how much weight they put on.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!