Background/Objectives: Obesity is a global health problem with significant chronic disease risks. This study examined gender differences in eating behaviour, body composition, eating frequency and time of hunger in an Italian cohort with obesity (BMI ≥ 30) to inform gender-specific management strategies. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 720 adults (51.5% female, mean age 44.4 ± 13.8 years) assessed body composition and eating behaviour using principal component analysis (PCA) to classify eating profiles (structured, irregular, social and disordered/impulsive eaters). Results: Males showed higher weight, abdominal circumference and fat mass, while females showed higher fat mass percentages (p < 0.001). Gender differences were observed in the frequency of meals (e.g., 54.7% of males and 64.7% of females consumed 4–5 meals per day, p = 0.0018) and the time of hunger (males: before dinner; females: morning hunger, p = 0.005). The PCA profiles revealed that the ‘structured eaters’ had a healthier body composition, whereas the ‘disordered/impulsive eaters’ had a higher fat mass. Irregular eaters were predominantly male (41.0%), while disordered eaters were predominantly female (39.9%) (p = 0.0016). Conclusions: Gender-specific eating patterns influence obesity outcomes. Structured eating was associated with healthier profiles, whereas impulsive or irregular patterns were related to higher fat mass. The retrospective design and non-validated questionnaire for dietary behaviour assessment limit generalisability, warranting further research for tailored interventions. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06654674).

Objective: This study evaluated whether higher adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD), specifically through increased legume consumption, is associated with improved functional, autonomic, and performance parameters in adolescents and young adult competitive swimmers. Methods: Thirty-nine swimmers (mean age 19.7 ± 2.3 years; 22 men, 17 women) monitored over a five-month period under standardized training conditions. Based on baseline dietary assessment, participants were allocated into three groups according to habitual legume intake: Control group (<1 serving/week, no dietary modification), 3Legumes group (~2 servings/week, increased to 3/week), and 6Legumes group (~3–4 servings/week, increased to 6/week). Functional evaluation encompassed bioelectrical impedance parameters (phase angle, extracellular and intracellular water, ECW/ICW ratio), heart rate variability (HRV), cardiac coherence, and critical swimming speed test (CSS) results. Results: After 5 months, the 6Legumes group showed an increase in phase angle (Δ = +0.34 ± 0.35°, p = 0.004), a reduction in extracellular water (Δ = −1.77 ± 0.93%, p < 0.001), and an increase in intracellular water (Δ = +1.77 ± 0.93%, p < 0.001), resulting in a lower ECW/ICW ratio (Δ = −0.051 ± 0.028, p < 0.001). HRV (Δ = +6.92 ± 5.02, p = 0.0003) and cardiac coherence (Δ = +0.40 ± 0.35, p = 0.0015) also demonstrated statistically significant improvements, whereas CSS exhibited a positive trend (Δ = +0.011 ± 0.019 m/s, p = 0.067) without reaching statistical significance. Between-group comparisons confirmed significant differences in phase angle and water-distribution parameters (all p < 0.01). Conclusions: In this cohort of adolescents and young adult competitive swimmers, increased legume consumption within a Mediterranean dietary framework was associated with beneficial adaptations in cellular hydration status, autonomic regulation, and functional performance.