Until recently, scientists did not know whether eating time affects weight gain. Researchers have now found that eating on a later day actually contributes to weight gain.
How common is obesity?
Overweight and obesity are some of the biggest health problems on the planet. Since 1975, overweight has almost tripled - WHO speaks of 1.9 billion adults worldwide.
41% of adults are overweight or obese. Most often, older people suffer from excess calories.
Since obesity can lead to various consequences, modern science is intensively engaged in this topic.
What results were obtained in the study?
A recent study by the University of Colorado shows that eating food during the day can increase weight. The results of the study were presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Community in New Orleans.
Previous studies have already shown that bedtime meals are associated with obesity. However, several studies have evaluated the timing of food intake and sleep in obese adults. It is unclear whether food is associated with shorter sleep times or increased body fat.
What has been investigated?
The study used 3 different types of technology to record sleep, physical activity, and participants' eating habits. Researchers used a new set of methods to simultaneously measure daily sleep, physical activity, and meal times.
The study included 31 overweight and obese people with an average age of 36 years. 90% of the volunteers were women participating in an ongoing study.
In a scientific paper, daily calorie restriction was compared to eating at a specific time. All participants wore the so-called activPAL device on their hips during the study. The technical device measures how much time has been spent on physically active and sitting exercises.
Subjects wore Actiwatch, which evaluated participants' sleep / wake patterns. In addition, the subjects were asked to use a special application for the phone to photograph all dishes and snacks during the day.
Late nutrition leads to weight gain
Researchers found that volunteers ate 12 hours a day and slept about 8 hours a night. However, when people ate later that day, they went to bed later. However, all slept approximately the same number of hours. Later meals were associated with a higher mass, as well as the level of fat in the body.
The results obtained help to evaluate whether the restriction of food intake in the dark reduces the risk of obesity. Portable activity monitors and smartphones are ubiquitous in modern society. Scientists are considering the effect of behavior at different times of the day in the prevention and treatment of obesity.
Numerous nutrition experts believe that breakfast should not be skipped. Studies show that the same food taken in the evening rather than in the morning tends to cause obesity. One intake of 2000 kcal per day led to weight gain in volunteers who consumed it in the evening.
People who ate several times a day and consumed more than a third of their calories in the evening were also more prone to being overweight. However, a research team from Italy was able to confirm the above hypothesis in a large-scale study.
Adults who consumed most of their calories in the evening tended to develop overweight. People eating most of their food in the morning were 38% less likely to be obese. The result of the study will help make new dietary recommendations that will help obese people cope with the disease.
As is often the case in nutrition, opinions and research findings also differ. Several studies show that eating too late contributes to overweight. One thing cannot be ignored when it comes to this topic: a genetic predisposition also determines how well your metabolism works.
