It's not only what you eat but also when you eat

By Malathy Iyer, TNN | Feb 1, 2013, 07.27 AM IST

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READ MORE Obesity|University Of MurciaUniversity Of Murcia|International Journal Of Obesity|Brigham And Women's Hospital

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MUMBAI: The timing of your meals is just as important as what you eat, says a research done jointly by Brigham and Women's Hospitalin the US and University of Murcia in Spain.

Their study, published in the latest issue of the International Journal of Obesity, showed that late-eaters lost significantly less weight than early-eaters, and displayed a much slower rate of weight-loss. Worse, people who ate late also had a lower estimated insulin sensitivity, which is a risk factor for diabetes.

To evaluate the role of food timing in weight-loss effectiveness, the researchers studied 420 overweight participants who followed a 20-week weight-loss treatment program in Spain. The participants were divided into two groups: early-eaters and late-eaters. Early-eaters ate lunch anytime before 3 pm and late-eaters, after 3 pm. They found that late-eaters lost significantly less weight than early-eaters, and displayed a much slower rate of weight-loss.

"This study emphasizes that the timing of food intake itself may play a significant role in weight regulation"" said co-author Marta Garaulet from the University of Murcia. "Novel therapeutic strategies should incorporate not only the caloric intake and macronutrient distribution, as it is classically done, but also the timing of food."