"The girls' trip was perfect: Samantha Stobo and her best friend spent two weeks in Italy drinking wine, suntanning, driving a convertible down the coast of Puglia. But there was one part of la dolce vita the 32-year-old never warmed up to: long, late, lazy dinners that rarely began before 8pm and stretched well past 10. I am such an early eater, Stobo said. Back home in Miami, her ideal dinner time is 5.30; she simply can't wait much later."
"Stobo, who works in hotel marketing, does not care if that makes her sound uncool or uptight; she thinks a 5pm dinnertime is healthier. That's the normal time people used to eat dinner when we, like, lived by the sun and the moon and the way of the world, she said. An idyllic way to put it but studies do show that eating two hours or fewer before bedtime can disrupt our circadian rhythm and be a risk factor for obesity."
Samantha Stobo prefers a 5pm dinnertime and found late Italian dinners uncomfortable. Eating within two hours of bedtime can disrupt circadian rhythm and increase obesity risk. Younger generations show growing interest in earlier dining: 53% of Gen Z and 51% of millennials in the US are interested in early seats. OpenTable reported 5pm reservations rose 11% from January to August 2025 versus 2024; 6pm rose 8% and 8pm rose 4%. New York recorded a 20% increase in 5pm dining. Factors include return-to-office schedules, health and wellness priorities, and strategic booking of in-demand tables.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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