Eating late does cause people to put on weight, but it's an individual's body clock that is crucial.

Scientists at Harvard found that it's important for a person to eat before the release of the sleep hormone melatonin (around 9PM for most people), which causes fat to be stored.

Researchers found that the timing of when you consume calories relative to your own body clock may be more important for health than the actual time of day.

So if you work odd hours or get up earlier than most people, your body clock will be different, so people are advised to change their diet accordingly.