The association between meal timing and weight loss Original paper

“Calories in/calories out” has been the predominant focus for weight loss, but recently, meal timing has garnered increased interest. Studies in shift workers have found that eating late at night can lead to weight gain. Furthermore, other studies have found that early eaters may lose more weight than later eaters. Does meal-timing influence weight loss among individuals enrolled in a weight loss program?

This study was a secondary analysis of a 12-week randomized weight-loss trial in 97 participants (47.6 years of age on average, average BMI of 25.4). This analysis focused on the relationship between meal timing and changes in body weight and calorie intake.

The timing of the start of the eating window (breakfast) was the only meal associated with weight loss. Specifically, early eaters (around 6:48 a.m.) saw greater weight loss (−3.8%) than later eaters (around 8:09 a.m., −2.2%).

The early eaters consumed roughly the same amount of calories and had a shorter fasting window but took more steps per day than the later eaters. This increase in physical activity could be one factor that influenced weight loss in the early group.