A really nice article on length of fasting time, and restricted eating times mentioned that there was a correlation with these and the levels of metabolic dseases common to obesity and overweight problems, diabetes, heart disease and the like. The studies were done by Hatori et al at UCSD using mice and various high fat and normal and ad lib and restricted feeding schedules but similar calorie inake.  The bottom line make good sense….. it is not only WHAT we eat, but really more about WHEN we eat and that relates to our circadian rhythms.  Second point here is the varying hours that many retail workers experience…. some early shifts, others late, and even those varying from day to day.  It seems pretty simple to me that this combination of “mall” food and changing “diurnal” eating patterns are likely related to “retail spread” of the waistline.