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Chronotype and disordered eating indicators: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Arman Arab1, Elham Karimi2, Kamryn T Eddy3
1Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Medical Chronobiology Program, Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Clinical Psychology Review
|May 25, 2026
Summary
Later chronotype, or being a night owl, is linked to increased disordered eating indicators like binge eating and food addiction. This systematic review found consistent associations between later chronotype and various eating pattern disturbances in the general population.
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology
- Nutritional Psychiatry
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Chronotype, an individual's endogenous circadian rhythm, influences sleep-wake timing and daily activity patterns.
- Emerging research suggests a connection between chronotype, eating behaviors, and obesity risk, but its link to disordered eating indicators is less clear.
- Existing evidence on chronotype and disordered eating is inconsistent, necessitating a comprehensive synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the association between chronotype and various disordered eating indicators within the general population.
- To consolidate current evidence and identify consistent patterns linking chronotype to specific disordered eating behaviors.
- To provide a quantitative overview of the relationship between chronotype and disordered eating indicators.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted to identify observational studies examining chronotype and disordered eating.
- Fifty-one studies were included in the meta-analysis, encompassing diverse age groups and BMI ranges.
- Statistical meta-analysis was employed to calculate pooled effect sizes (correlation coefficients) for the association between chronotype and different disordered eating indicators.
Main Results:
- Later chronotype was significantly associated with higher scores for binge-eating (r=0.39), night-eating (r=0.21), food addiction (r=0.17), emotional eating (r=0.06), uncontrolled eating (r=0.13), and food craving (r=0.09).
- Conversely, a later chronotype was linked to lower scores in restrained eating (r=-0.11).
- High heterogeneity was observed across most analyses, indicating variability in study findings.
Conclusions:
- Later chronotype is consistently associated with a spectrum of disordered eating indicators in general populations.
- These findings underscore the importance of considering chronotype in understanding and addressing disordered eating.
- Further longitudinal and randomized controlled trials are recommended to establish causality and elucidate underlying mechanisms linking chronotype and disordered eating.
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