This indicates that interaction with gut microbes enhances the significant diversity in how the body processes food. Studies show that meal timing affects food metabolism. Women who consumed most of their calories after 2 PM had a lower body mass index. Maintaining a healthy weight is not a simple mathematical equation between calories consumed and burned (incoming versus outgoing energy), as biological factors play a major role. Meal timing, eating speed, and chewing method affect the amount of energy the body actually absorbs. Sarah Perry, a professor of nutrition at King's College London: 'We are starting to see to what extent different bodies respond differently to the same food; I, for example, might metabolize something in a completely different way than you.'
