請依下文回答第 47 題至第 50 題
As the modern world has become more complex, our lifestyles have become more challenging, demanding, and
exhausting. Food consumption patterns, in pace with these changes, have altered remarkably over the past few
decades. For instance, we are dining outside the home more often, skipping more meals, consuming food more
on-the-go, eating later in the day, and eating more irregularly. In the past, dietary guidelines used to focus exclusively
on ‘what’ you should eat in terms of food and nutrients. Now the equivalent amount of attention is being placed on
‘when’ you should eat over the course of a day. Concentrating on both what we eat and when we eat, although
beneficial in keeping us healthy and warding off chronic diseases, can be quite overwhelming.
According to studies on the effect of meal patterns on health, eating inconsistently is likely to be associated with a
higher risk of metabolic syndrome, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Eating irregularly may
affect our internal body clock which normally follows a 24-hour cycle. For people working shifts, their irregular
dietary patterns create a greater risk of getting cancer, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome.
In the 1960s, nutritionist Adelle Davis promoted the mantra, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and
dinner like a pauper.” A good meal in the morning can give you fuel and prepare your body for the work to come.
According to Harvard School of Public Health researchers, skipping breakfast may make you hungrier and crave larger
meals later in the day. Unfortunately, this will lead to a surge in blood sugar, and increase your risk of heart disease,
diabetes, and obesity.
Although calories get burned up no matter when you eat them, having a hearty meal at night can cause weight
problems. “What you don’t burn off is more likely to be stored as fat, as you become less active toward the end of the
day,” said Tracy Lockwood, a registered dietitian. “Eating too close to bedtime increases your blood sugar and insulin,
which causes you to have a hard time falling asleep. Therefore, your last meal should be the lightest of the day and
should be eaten at least three hours before you go to sleep.”
Having small but frequent meals to regulate appetite and control weight is a concept of fad diets; yet some
studies argue consuming more meals is linked to a greater risk of being overweight. It is clear that there is no single
golden rule for healthy eating for everyone. Paying attention to when to eat, what to eat, and how many calories to
consume will definitely be a good place to start.
【題組】49 Why do the experts discourage people from having a heavy dinner?
(A)It will directly link to the happening of chronic diseases.
(B)It will cause low blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.
(C)It will be highly likely for them to gain weights.
(D) It will provide too little energy to promote the body’s natural repair cycle.