eli5: Asking for a friend, what is the difference between eating a whole bag of Reese’s cups in one sitting and eating it over the course of many days?

Question

Obviously, this is a thought experiment. I would never do something like this but my friend had this random thought.

If it is the same amount of calories, is there a metabolic difference between eating a whole lot of candy at once and eating the same amount over many days?

I’ll have some candy while I wait. Thank you.

In: 1

Answer 1

It depends entirely on what else you eat on those days because it is simple mathematics. Your body requires a certain number of calories a day to function, if you eat more you’ll gain a small amount of weight.

If you eat normally every day but add two candies every day then you will slowly gain weight. If you eat a whole packet instead of lunch and then have a tiny dinner because you feel ill and vaguely awful then you may not even have too many calories that day at all.