New Study: Late Eating Schedule Association with Obesity Risk
A new study was conducted this year at Brigham and Women's hospital in Boston, Massachusetts to look at the association between late eating schedules and positive energy balance (weight gain). The study proposed 3 different factors that caused increased risk of obesity: first, an increased drive or want to eat, second, decreased energy (calorie) burning, and third, a change on the molecular level that promotes fat storage.
The study was a randomized, controlled crossover trial to look at early versus late eating schedules. This is a reliable experiment design, however the sample size was fairly small, only 16 participants. That means that this study can be used as a baseline for further research, but should not be used to draw conclusions. The participants had BMI ranges in overweight or obese categories, therefore the conclusions can also not be applied to those in a lower BMI range.
The protocol for the study included a fixed sleep and awake cycle as well as a calculated, scheduled/timed, and pre-prepared diet. This precise calculating and scheduling helps to rule out other factors that may be causing changes in fat storage or burning, such as eating fewer calories or exercising more.
The study did find evidence that having a later eating schedule caused an increase in hunger cues while awake, which was accompanied by a decrease in the hormone leptin. Leptin plays a large role in regulating fat storage and maintaining normal weight over time by telling your body that you're full. There was also a decrease in the amount of energy expended while awake, which was indirectly measured by looking at core body temperature. Core body temperature can be related to energy expenditure (calories burned) because when food or fat is broken down it releases heat, this is what regulates your body temperature! They also were able to show that fat storage was increased because of an alteration to the genes that regulate fat stores. All of these factors together can lead to an increased risk of obesity and weight gain.
Key Takeaways-
This study has shown some evidence that following a late eating schedule can cause an increase in hunger, decrease in energy expenditure, and an increase in fat storage.
However, it must be noted that the overall total number of calories that you are eating in a day is far more important than the timing of when you are eating them. If you are eating an excess amount of calories on the "early schedule" you are still going to see weight gain.
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Written by Meghan Hawley, Ellen Byron and Associates
