A reader asks: "I work until eight and have dinner at ten. Everywhere it says you must not eat after six. Is it really dangerous?" A dietitian answers.
The short answer: a late dinner in itself is not harmful. The harm can come from what usually comes with it: a very large portion, a lot of fatty and sweet food, eating a minute before bed, and the short sleep that gets compensated with sweets later.
The body does not switch into fat-storage mode by the clock. What matters is the total calories of the day, what the food is made of, and how you sleep. If dinner at ten is the only meal after work, eating it is better than skipping it.
What helps: make dinner lighter — vegetables, protein, a little grain; leave two or three hours before bed when you can; do not turn the evening into the only "permitted" moment of the day.
And separately: if heartburn after dinner keeps you awake, the question is no longer about timing but about reflux — and that is a reason to talk to a doctor.
A useful question for tonight. What do I usually eat late — because I am hungry, or because I am tired?
When to see a specialist. With diabetes, gastrointestinal disease or an eating disorder, plan your meals with a doctor or dietitian. For urgent symptoms call 103 or 112.