Chrono-nutrition studies dietary habits and their role in the onset of metabolic diseases. The aim of this study is to describe chrono-nutritional patterns based on the analysis of the eating habits of patients with severe obesity during the 24-h cycle and investigate a possible relationship between these profiles, the comorbidities, and the psychological status. From the overall evaluation of the chrono-nutritional profiles of 173 patients with severe obesity, four predominant eating patterns were obtained with a refined statistical model. A regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between chrono-nutritional patterns, medical comorbidities, and psychological status. Profile 1 was the most frequent (46.2%) and characterised by the regular presence of the three main meals. The distribution of the chrono-nutritional profiles did not vary with BMI. Chrono-nutritional profiles affected predominantly psychological variables, with lower performances among chrono-nutritional profiles 3 (to eat during all the 24-h, with nibbling and snacking also during the night) and 4 (like the fourth but without night-eating). This finding could be useful in the assessment and treatment of patients with obesity, allowing the identification of patients with a higher probability of suffering from a psychopathological condition simply by knowing the patients’ dietary profiles.
Background/Objectives: A disruption of eating habits is related to obesity and obesity-related complications (ORCs), including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We previously described chrono-nutritional profiles considering the eating habits of patients with severe obesity during the 24 h cycle. Our present study aims to determine, first, whether belonging to a specific eating profile is associated with greater or lesser weight loss in patients with obesity who have undergone bariatric surgery, and second, whether chrono-nutritional profiles are associated with the remission of ORCs after surgery. We also investigated whether there were differences between the original baseline profile and the new profile derived from the 24 h recall on dietary patterns. Methods: The study included 75 patients with obesity who had undergone bariatric surgery and were followed up for a period of 36 ± 11 months. Data were collected from patients’ medical records and telephone interviews. R software (v4.4.0; R Core Team, 2024) was used. Results: Significant weight loss from baseline was observed at follow-up for all profiles (p < 0.0001); however, there were no significant differences in weight loss % among profiles. Using a linear regression model, Profile 3 (characterized by irregular eating patterns) demonstrated less weight loss at follow-up compared to other profiles (p = 0.0487). There was a significant remission of ORCs from baseline to follow-up, but there were no significant differences among profiles. Conclusions: Chrono-nutritional profiles may play a role in weight regulation in patients with severe obesity who are candidates for bariatric surgery. Further studies with a larger sample size are needed.