Meal Skipping and Metabolic Health: Effects on Appetite, Energy Levels, and Metabolic Regulation

A busy workday that is filled with meetings, commuting, or long hours into the night can make it surprisingly easy to miss a meal. The body releases the stress hormone cortisol, which can temporarily suppress our appetite, and we continue to function throughout the day without noticing hunger cues or may not feel hungry at all. Only during quieter moments does the hunger return, and we notice that lunch, or perhaps even an entire day of eating, was entirely skipped.

Although this pattern may seem harmless, regular meal skipping can influence our appetite regulation, energy levels, and metabolic response over time.

What does the evidence say?

Appetite

• Large observational data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey suggest that skipping meals does not necessarily increase total daily calorie intake. However, it is associated with larger subsequent meals and lower dietary quality, including reduced intake of vegetables and whole grains. (1) That said, these findings are based on short-term self-reported data and should be interpreted with caution.

• When looking at appetite itself, the evidence is still limited. Studies on time-restricted eating (a structured form of intermittent fasting) show that overall hunger across the day does not change significantly. However, some people experience increased hunger later in the evening, suggesting that hunger may be shifted rather than increased. (2)

• Interestingly, skipping meals does not seem to strongly affect key hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin in the short term, although more long-term research is needed. (3)

• Another important factor is habit. One study found that people who regularly eat breakfast experience greater hunger when they skip it, compared to those who are used to skipping it. (4) This suggests that our bodies adapt to our usual eating patterns.

• It is important to differentiate between unintentionally skipping meals and intentional intermittent fasting. While the evidence shows that skipping meals can lead to behavioural adaptations such as reduced diet quality and increased meal size, planned intermittent fasting did not show increased energy intake. (5)

Energy levels

• Research on energy levels and meal skipping is surprisingly limited. Some evidence suggests that eating breakfast may increase morning physical activity levels, particularly in obese individuals. (6)

• However, other studies comparing breakfast skipping, dinner skipping, and regular eating patterns found no major differences in overall physical activity levels. (4)

• This suggests that the impact on energy may vary depending on the individual and their routine. In practice, energy dips and fatigue can occur when prolonged periods without food lead to low blood sugar levels. (6)

  
  

Metabolic regulation

• Observational studies have linked breakfast skipping with a higher risk of metabolic abnormalities (7) and increased likelihood of overweight and obesity. (8) However, these studies cannot prove causation, as skipping meals is often linked with other lifestyle factors.

• More controlled research suggests that which meal is skipped may matter. For example, one study found that skipping lunch led to higher blood glucose spikes after dinner, suggesting a potential impact on metabolic regulation. (9)

• At the same time, structured approaches like intermittent fasting can sometimes lead to neutral or even beneficial metabolic outcomes, depending on how they are implemented. (5,6)

• Importantly, many of these findings come from short-term or observational studies, meaning individual responses can vary.

What does this mean in practice?

Unintentionally skipping a meal due to time restraints or stress may:

• Lead to higher portion sizes later in the day and reduce meal quality in the following meal

• Cause energy dips and fatigue

• Influence metabolic responses

At the same time, structured approaches like planned time-restricted eating and intermittent fasting may work for some people and even show beneficial effects on metabolic regulation, but they require planning and consistency 

Key takeaway

There is a significant difference between skipping meals due to time constraints and stress and structured time-restricted eating. Skipping a meal once in a while may not affect you greatly, but regularly missing meals, especially unintentionally, can quietly affect how hungry you feel, what your first meal choice will be after you break the fast and how your body responds metabolically.

References:

1. Zeballos E, Todd JE. The effects of skipping a meal on daily energy intake and diet quality. Public Health Nutr. 2020 Dec;23(18):3346–3355. doi:10.1017/S1368980020000683

2. Vizthum D, Katz SE, Pacanowski CR. The impact of time restricted eating on appetite and disordered eating in adults: a mixed methods systematic review. Appetite. 2023 Apr 1;183:106452. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2023.106452

3. Bonnet JP, Cardel MI, Cellini J, Hu FB, Guasch-Ferré M. Breakfast skipping, body composition, and cardiometabolic risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2020 Jun;28(6):1098–1109. doi:10.1002/oby.22791

4. Nas A, Mirza N, Hägele F, Kahlhöfer J, Keller J, Rising R, et al. Impact of breakfast skipping compared with dinner skipping on regulation of energy balance and metabolic risk. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017 Jun;105(6):1351–1361. doi:10.3945/ajcn.116.151332

5. Elsworth RL, Monge A, Perry R, Hinton EC, Flynn AN, Whitmarsh A, et al. The effect of intermittent fasting on appetite: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2023 Jun 1;15(11):2604. doi:10.3390/nu15112604

6. Chowdhury EA, Richardson JD, Holman GD, Tsintzas K, Thompson D, Betts JA. The causal role of breakfast in energy balance and health: a randomized controlled trial in obese adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Mar;103(3):747–756. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.122044

7. Heo J, Choi WJ, Ham S, Kang SK, Lee W. Association between breakfast skipping and metabolic outcomes by sex, age, and work status stratification. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2021 Jan 7;18(1):8. doi:10.1186/s12986-020-00526-z

8. Minari TP, Pisani LP. Skipping breakfast and its wide-ranging health consequences: a systematic review from multiple metabolic disruptions to socioeconomic factors. Nutr Res. 2025 Sep;141:34–45. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2025.07.006

9. Kanazawa C, Shimba Y, Toyonaga S, Nakamura F, Hosaka T. Effects of skipping breakfast, lunch or dinner on subsequent postprandial blood glucose levels among healthy young adults. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2025 Jul 16;22(1):76. doi:10.1186/s12986-025-00975-4

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Individual needs vary, and personalised guidance from a qualified healthcare professional is recommended for tailored support.