It’s what time you eat NOT how many calories you gorge on that makes you fat
The time you eat could affected your body's natural rhythm and cause you to gain weight, scientists say
THE time of day you eat not how many calories you gorge on is key to shedding pounds, new findings suggest.
It means even your best dieting intentions may be scuppered, if you’re not timing your meals to perfection.
On a recent study on mice, the animals that ate a reduced calorie plan during the day were the only ones to to lose weight, UT Southwestern Medical Center revealed.
That’s compared to mice who enjoyed midnight feasts, snacking when they should be asleep.
Dr Joseph Takahashi, lead author of the study, said: “Translated into human behaviour, these studies suggest that dieting will only be effective if calories are consumed during the daytime when we are awake and active.
“They further suggest that eating at the wrong time at night will not lead to weight loss even when dieting.”
The mice eating fewer calories also ate their food quicker and were more active during the day.
Scientists developed an automated feeding system for the groups of mice so they weren’t disrupted during their normal night’s sleep.
They believe the time the mice were fed affected their circadian rhythms – the body’s 24-hour clock.
Two groups of mice that were fed at the wrong time during their normal cycle, one with less calories and one with unlimited food, were more active at night.
This suggests they may have chronic sleep deprivation.
Several studies have linked sleep deprivation to obesity and excess calorie consumption.
Dr Takahashi said: “It has been known for decades that calorie restriction prolongs lifespan in animals, but these types of studies are very difficult to conduct because they required manual feeding of subjects over many years.
“Despite the importance of these factors, manipulating when and how much food is available for extended periods has been difficult in past research.
“This automated system, which can be scaled up for large and very long longevity studies, provides the means to address open questions about what mechanisms extend lifespan in mammals, and whether it is actually the calorie reduction or the time at which food is consumed that extends lifespan.”
And here is why you should never start a diet on a Monday.
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