Reuters reports that according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, girls who ate meals and snacks frequently gained less weight than girls who ate only a few times every day.
Researchers followed over 2,100 black and white girls starting at age nine or ten, and tracked their eating habits as well as height, weight, and waist measurements for ten years to arrive at this conclusion.
The study authors proposed that eating more frequently might lead to longer satisfaction and prevent over-eating, but noted that the food types being eaten might also contribute to weight gain and overall health.