If an individual breaks a long fast at 2:30 PM after working a demanding shift, what is the physiological function met?
Answer
That of breakfast.
The practical guideline based on energy deficit determines the true physiological function of a very late first meal. If an individual has gone without substantial calories for an extended period—specifically 8 hours or more—during the typical waking or working phase of their day, consuming food at 2:30 PM is fulfilling the requirement to break that prolonged fast. Even if societal convention labels it lunch due to the clock reading, the body is registering the intake as the necessary replenishment that breakfast traditionally provides after the long overnight fast.
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