US consumers are snacking more than ever, thanks to on-the-go lifestyles that blur the boundaries between meals and snacking. Richard Mattes, from Purdue University (Indiana, USA) reported that between 1977 and 2006, snacking in the American diet has grown to constitute “a full eating event,” or a fourth meal, averaging about 580 calories each day. Half of those snack calories were consumed as beverages between meals, as Americans tended to be less fully aware of the calories they consumed as liquids.  The researcher also reported that time spent eating meals has remained constant at about 70 minutes, but the amount of eating that takes place while engaged in other activities doubled from 2006 to 2008 – from 15 minutes a day to nearly half an hour – and drinking outside of mealtimes jumped from 45 minutes to 85 minutes a day during this period.