A new study has shown that eating later in the morning can have a direct impact on our biological weight regulation. This is through three key factors: how many calories we consume, our appetite levels, and how our bodies store fat.
Now, obesity is a major problem Many millions of people worldwide, this is a valuable insight into how the risk of becoming obese could be lowered in a relatively simple way – just by eating our meals a few hours earlier.
Earlier studiesResearchers had previously identified a link between timing of meals, and weight gain. But, here, they wanted to examine that link closer, as well as uncover the biological reasons why.
“We wanted to find out the mechanisms that might explain why late eating can increase obesity risk.” Frank Scheer, neuroscientistFrom Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston.
“Previous research done by us and others has shown that late eating can lead to increased obesity risk, higher body fat, and poor weight loss. We wanted to find out why.”
The research involved 16 participants who had a body mass (BMI) of either overweight or obese.
Two experiments were conducted on each volunteer over six days. They were closely monitored in terms of their sleep and eating habits and repeated several times between each experiment.
In one experiment, the participants kept to a strict schedule of three meals a day around the normal times – breakfast at 9am, lunch at 1pm and dinner around 6pm.
In the other, the three meals were shifted back (the first around 1pm and the last around 9pm) – so lunch, dinner and supper.
The team was able make many observations using blood samples, survey question and other measurements.
When eating later, levels of the hormone leptin – which tells us when we’re full – were lower across 24 hours, indicating participants may have felt hungrier. Additionally, calories were being burned at an even slower rate.
The tests also showed that adipose tissue gene expression – which affects how the body stores fat – increased the adipogenesisThe process that increases fat tissues and decreases the LipolysisProcess that reduces fat.
We’re looking at both physiological and molecular mechanisms that increase obesity risk.
“We have isolated these effects by controlling confounding variables such as caloric intake, sleep, light exposure, and physical activity. But in real life, many factors can be influenced by meal timing.” says Scheer.
Other health issues can be caused by obesity, including DiabetesAnd CancerIt can be prevented from occurring, and it is important to make an impact on the health of the world’s population.
What this study shows is that eating earlier in the day can impact three key drivers of the way our bodies balance energy and the subsequent obesity risk – and it’s a change that’s perhaps simpler for some people to manage than sticking to a diet or exercise regime.
The team hopes to see future research with more women (only 5 of 16 volunteers in this case were women), and research that examines changes in bedtime in relation time to eating.
“When it is impossible to control all of these factors in large-scale studies, we need to at least consider how other behavioral or environmental variables affect the biological pathways that underlie obesity risk.” says Scheer.
The research was published in Cell Metabolism.
