Does timing matter?
Thanks to hectic schedules, many people no longer eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same time every day. And that may be fueling the bulging American waistline.Obese women who were told to eat six meals a day on a regular schedule burned more calories after meals than when they were instructed to eat anywhere from three to nine meals a day on an irregular schedule. (They were told to eat seven meals the first day, four the next, then nine, three, etc.)
The women also had lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lower peak insulin levels on the regular meal schedule. An earlier study found similar results in lean women.
What to do: This study isn't conclusive because each eating routine lasted just two weeks (which may explain why weight didn't change in either group).
Nevertheless, the study does suggest that snacking, meals on the run, and a chaotic eating schedule may make it harder to stay lean.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 81: 16, 2005.
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| Title Annotation: | Quick Studies; food habits |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Nutrition Action Healthletter |
| Article Type: | Brief Article |
| Geographic Code: | 1USA |
| Date: | Mar 1, 2005 |
| Words: | 167 |
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