Overeating at dinner time among Japanese workers: Is overeating related to stress response and late dinner times?

• Overeating scores at dinner were related to BMI.
• Overeating scores at dinner were related to psychological scores.
• Overeating scores at dinner were related to a later dinner time.

There are several known risk factors for overeating, including negative feelings and hunger. It was hypothesized that overtime work is associated with stress responses and later dinner times, leading to longer periods of time without eating, and that this, in turn, leads to a strong experience of hunger and consequent overeating at dinner. The aim of this study was to examine relationships among overeating at dinner, stress responses (e.g., fatigue, anxiety, and depression), and dinner times in Japanese male workers. In December 2012, 255 Japanese male workers at a leasing company completed a self-report questionnaire about overeating at dinner, psychological stress responses, physical stress responses, and dinner times. Each worker was sent an email with a link to the questionnaire website, where his answers were collected. Relationships between overeating at dinner and lifestyle issues were investigated using multiple linear regression analysis treating overeating as a dependent variable. Factors related to overeating at dinner included psychological stress response (β = 0.251 p < 0.001) and dinner time (β = 0.220, p = 0.004). These cross-sectional data suggest that overeating at dinner is related to dinner time in men and to stress responses.