This tidbit appeared in a letter to the editor of the Annals of Improbable Research, and should be treated with all due respect. The full letter:
Difficult to Swallow Distinguished editors: I have been testing the long-believed, little-examined theory that three meals a day are optimal for health and longevity. My data, derived from longitudinal studies during the years 1964- 1990 of more than 20,000 health professionals throughout Italy, appear to indicate that there are several optimal numbers. Three meals a day indeed are indeed best, but seven meals a day also provide very good results, as do nine meals a day. The data also appear to indicate that 37 meals a day are optimal. This strikes me on the face of it as being flat-out wrong, but the data are there, and I am at a loss as to how to explain them. Perhaps one of your readers can offer an explanation. Patrice M. Arruda, Ph.D. Foggia, Italy