Time-Restricted Eating Enhances Weight Management Without Negative Effects: JAMA

These results came from a secondary analysis of a Spanish randomized clinical trial that set out to discover whether the timing of an 8-hour eating window could affect key features of psychological and physical health in adults with overweight or obesity.

This parallel-group randomized clinical trial was performed from April 2022 to March 2023 at two Spanish study sites: Granada in the south and Pamplona in the north. Data analysis consisted of 197 men and women aged 30-60 years who were all overweight or obese according to a mean body mass index (BMI) of 32.8 (SD 3.2).

Patients were equally randomized into four groups:

• Usual care (UC) group: n = 49

• Early TRE group (eating window earlier than 10 a.m.): n = 49

• Late TRE group (eating window later than 1 p.m.): n = 52

• Self-selected TRE group (participants selected any 8-hour eating window): n = 47

All the participants in the TRE groups also received normal care in the form of education on the Mediterranean diet, while the UC group had a habitual eating window of ≥12 hours without any time restriction. Sleep outcomes were objectively assessed with accelerometers for two weeks prior to and two weeks subsequent to the 12-week intervention. Mood outcomes (anxiety, depression, stress) and quality of life were assessed via valid self-report measures pre- and post-intervention.

Key Findings

No group differences were found between those who used different eating windows, despite employing different times of eating, on a variety of outcome measures:

• Total Sleep Time: Early TRE vs. UC revealed a mean difference of only 0.2 hours (95% CI, –0.2 to 0.6 hours).

• Depression: Mean difference in Beck Depression Inventory Fast Screen score was 0.2 points (95% CI, –1.0 to 1.3).

• Anxiety: State anxiety score on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory had a mean difference of –1.2 points (95% CI, –6.4 to 4.1).

• Perceived Stress: Mean difference was 2.1 points (95% CI, –1.8 to 5.9).

• Quality of Life: Difference in RAND 36-Item SF Health Survey general health score was 3.3 points (95% CI, –4.4 to 10.9).

In this randomized clinical trial, researchers saw no evidence that various time-restricted eating schedules impacted sleep, mood, or quality of life. These results reinforce the application of TRE as a healthy diet regimen that can be combined with other lifestyle treatments such as the Mediterranean diet without compromising mental health or sleep behavior.

Reference:

Clavero-Jimeno A, Dote-Montero M, Migueles JH, et al. Time-Restricted Eating and Sleep, Mood, and Quality of Life in Adults With Overweight or Obesity: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(6):e2517268. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.17268