“nobody has undertaken the question of whether the timing of what you eat and when you eat it influences body weight”
I don’t believe this is true. A researcher at UT Southwestern has studied this. She also discovered the benefits of red wine.
I agree with your assessment. I don’t know for sure who’s done it, but for years I’ve advocated eating a good breakfast that’s high in protein. The reason it’s called breakfast is because it’s when you break your fast. If your last meal was at 6 pm, and breakfast is at 7 am, that’s thirteen hours without food, the longest time without eating during the entire day. Your body needs nourishment, and protein burns for energy slowly over the course of the morning. The high sugar breakfasts give a quick start, but don’t provide much nourishment and are gone after about an hour.
I’ve also found that after a good breakfast I’m less likely to want to snack before lunch, and tend to eat a smaller lunch.