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

Yes. Your base metabolic rate burns all the time. If you didn’t eat anything else, just the cups – then eating over a longer time would be beneficial as it would sustain you longer. If you ate them all at once your body would consume what it could, burn what it could, and what was left turn to fat for later. Ultimately energy is energy in, but if you burn it over longer period then you’ll have less of the negative effects of insulin spikes, and the obvious fat.