Stop munching on those midnight snacks if you want to lose weight

If you want to lose weight, cutting down on late night snacking may be the best way to do it, scientists have claimed.

In the study conducted on fruit flies, San Diego State University researchers found that after feeding for 12 hours a day, the flies slept better, gained less weight and had much healthier circulatory systems than those who had no restrictions on eating, the Daily Express reported.

The effect appeared to be linked to body clock genes that exist in many species, including humans.

Scientists kept performing the experiment until they were convinced that the group of flies which fed for only half the day were much healthier.

Dr Girish Melkani said that "time-restricted feeding would not require people to drastically change their lifestyles, just the times of day they eat. The message then would be to cut down on the late-night snacks."

The research was published in the journal Science.