ANSWER: Eating a lot all at once can cause abdominal distension (the belly sticks out). This is especially bad in the evening when abdominal muscles naturally relax and stretch out. The combination of an over-stuffed belly and relaxed abdominal muscles can eventually lead to pot belly.
Another reason to avoid large late-night meals is that the digestive process can interfere with a good night's sleep.
Finally, as you noted, a big meal shortly before bedtime tends to cause weight gain. While you are sleeping, your body doesn't need all those calories, and so it stores them as fat.
To avoid these problems, it's best to eat your largest meal at mid-day and have a smaller supper in the evening.
A: Before I answer your question, I have an interesting statistic to share. The average American eats about 12 percent total daily calories from saturated fat. If that number could be reduced to just 9 percent, about 100,000 first-time heart attacks (costing $13 billion in health care) could be prevented by the year 2005. That's because a diet high in saturated fat is a major risk factor in the development of coronary artery disease.
Some of the main sources of saturated fat are red meat, ground beef, roasts and steaks, whole milk products, cream, ice cream, cheese, luncheon meats and high fat desserts.
To reduce your risk of coronary artery disease, get some kind of aerobic exercise most days of the week and eat a diet low in all fats. Limit saturated fats to no more than 8 or 9 percent of your daily calories. Be sure to read package labels; often saturated fat is hidden amongst other ingredients. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day and get regular physical check-ups if you're at risk.