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By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

It’s long been known that what you eat has a lot to do with your energy levels, your health, your risk of diseases, your body composition, and your risk of death, among others. But according to a study that was reported in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, your eating patterns can also raise your mortality risks.

Specifically, the study found that those who skipped meals, fasted, or ate their meals without a sufficient break in between had a higher mortality risk than those who ate 3 consistent meals each day. According to the study’s lead author, Dr. Yangbo Sun, people who skipped breakfast were more likely to develop fatal heart disease, and those who skipped lunch and or dinner were more likely to die prematurely from any cause. Sun also noted that even those who ate three meals a day but ate them within 4.5 hours of each other also had a higher chance of death.

Overall, Sun advises that people eat at least 2 to 3 meals each day and that they be spread out across the entirety of the day rather than clustered together.

In addition to eating spaced-out, consistent meals, don’t forget to also make sure that the meals that you are eating are healthy and nourishing for your body! For more articles about healthy eating, or for healthy recipe ideas, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!