Skipping breakfast: morningness-eveningness preference is differentially related to state and trait food cravings

Eveningness preference is associated with unhealthy eating behaviors. We measured state and trait food cravings in chronotypes in the morning and in the evening. Less Evening (E)- than Morning (M)-types reported to have had breakfast. Accordingly, hours that had elapsed since the last meal were higher in E- than M-types in the morning, but did not differ between groups in the evening. E-types reported higher anticipation of positive reinforcement that may result from eating than M-types in the morning, but both had the same hunger levels. On a trait level, M-types reported more feelings of guilt for giving into cravings compared to E-types. Results suggest that E-types skip breakfast more often than M-types, but this eating pattern does not inevitably lead to more food cravings in the evening or more pronounced habitual cravings. Furthermore, E-types did not experience more hunger in the morning although they had not been eating for a longer time period. Results support findings about a different lifestyle in E-types compared to M-types.