Fig. 1.

Top: Three subjects consumed a single meal (2000 cal) per day, either in the morning (left) or in the evening (right). A cosine function with a period of 24 hours and a linear trend fitted concomitantly to the data were statistically significant 5 times (out of 6); P<0.05 for non-zero slope of trend 4 times out of 5 [6]. Results from more rigorous and extensive study on additional subjects over longer spans with control of mental and physical activities support, ceteris paribus, the finding of a relative body weight loss on breakfast.

Bottom: Survival of mice dependent on housing conditions and timing of single daily meal. Young male BALB/c mice kept on LD12:12 lighting regimen with 4-hour span of daily food accessibility. Initial group sizes: A = 19, B = 20, C = 16, D = 16, E = 20; 1/C: housed 1 per cage; 4/C: housed 4 per cage. In this case, density per cage (allowing cuddling) represents an advantage rather than a disadvantage, a point of chronoecology. Experiment set up in Minnesota after reading of many deaths associated with lack of food, lack of clothing and cool weather among the palm trees of Benares on the Ganges. © Halberg.