Time-restricted eating not better than usual eating pattern in reducing weight: Study

A recent clinical study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine challenges the effectiveness of time-restricted eating (TRE) as a superior method for weight loss when compared to traditional dieting practices. This study was conducted over 12 weeks at a clinical research unit and sought to determine if TRE could lead to weight loss independently of calorie reduction which is suggested by previous rodent studies.

The study involved a total of 41 adults who were either obese or had prediabetes or well-managed diabetes. The participants were randomly divided into two groups, where one group adhered to a TRE regimen by consuming 80% of their daily calories before 1 p.m. within a 10-hour window and the other group followed a usual eating pattern (UEP) by consuming at least 50% of their calories after 5 p.m. within a 16-hour window. Also, both groups consumed the same number of calories and nutrients that was carefully measured to match baseline caloric intake of every individual.

The primary focus was on changes in body weight, while the secondary outcomes included variations in fasting glucose levels, insulin resistance (measured by HOMA-IR) and glucose tolerance. The results after the 12-week period showed minimal differences in weight loss between the two groups. The participants in the TRE group lost an average of 2.3 kg, while the participants in the UEP group saw a slightly higher average weight loss of 2.6 kg. The difference of 0.3 kg between the two groups was statistically insignificant. There were no notable differences in glycemic control between the groups which indicates the timing of eating did not influence glucose metabolism under these conditions.

The findings were significant as they suggest that the benefits of TRE may not be due to the restricted eating window itself but possibly due to a reduction in overall calorie intake, that was controlled and neutralized in this study. Overall, this study adds a crucial perspective to the ongoing debate about the effectiveness of various dieting strategies by underlining that when calorie intake is consistent, the timing of meals might not play a significant role in weight management.

Reference:

Maruthur, N. M., Pilla, S. J., White, K., Wu, B., Maw, M. T. T., Duan, D., Turkson-Ocran, R.-A., Zhao, D., Charleston, J., Peterson, C. M., Dougherty, R. J., Schrack, J. A., Appel, L. J., Guallar, E., & Clark, J. M. (2024). Effect of Isocaloric, Time-Restricted Eating on Body Weight in Adults With Obesity. In Annals of Internal Medicine. American College of Physicians. https://doi.org/10.7326/m23-3132