Night Eating Syndrome

Night Eating Syndrome is a condition where a person eats a large portion of their daily food after the evening meal or wakes up during the night to eat. Unlike simple late-night snacking, this pattern happens regularly and is often accompanied by morning loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping.

Night Eating Syndrome (NES) is a circadian rhythm-related eating disorder characterised by the consumption of 25% or more of daily caloric intake after the evening meal and/or nocturnal awakenings with ingestions, occurring at least twice per week. NES is associated with mood disorders, sleep disturbances, and dysregulation of leptin, ghrelin, and cortisol rhythms. It is distinct from binge eating disorder and is prevalent in 6–16% of individuals with obesity seeking treatment.

Night Eating Syndrome can undermine even the best weight management efforts, as significant calorie intake occurs outside normal mealtimes. At Accord Medical, Dr Joseph Wang screens for eating patterns like NES to ensure the treatment plan addresses the root causes of weight gain.