UAB Study Shows Limiting Meal Times Can Lower Appetite
Researchers have known for a while that eating earlier in the day when metabolism rates are higher can help with weight loss. So can consuming all meals within a narrow window of time and then fasting for several hours.
“But there was a big question, like why does it help with weight loss?” Courtney Peterson, assistant professor in UAB’s Department of Nutrition Sciences, says. “Is it because it helps people burn more calories, or is it because it makes them less hungry, or both?”
To try to answer that question, Peterson and fellow researchers conducted a study to measure changes in appetite levels and the number of calories people burn when they use Early Time-Restricted Feeding (eTRF), a form of intermittent fasting.
Participants tried two different meal schedules. They spent four days eating from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the average schedule for an American adult, and they spent another four days eating the same meals between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m, a version of eTRF.
On the fourth day of each meal schedule, participants remained in a controlled environment for 24 hours so researchers could measure data including levels of the hunger hormone Ghrelin.
Peterson says the results were a bit surprising. They found that the eTRF schedule did not help participants burn more calories, but it did help them burn more fat and it lowered their appetite levels.
“That’s still a major victory,” Peterson says, “because if you can make people naturally less hungry, then that’s going to help them not only with weight loss, but with maintaining their weight.”
Researchers enrolled 11 overweight men and women, a small but appropriate sample size, according to Peterson. The study was published online Wednesday in the journal Obesity.
Peterson says the next step is to test whether people are able to consistently follow the restricted meal schedule and whether it can actually help people lose weight.
Photo by Pixabay
Editor’s Note: WBHM is a member-supported service of UAB, but our newsroom and business operations are separate.
Alabama regulators approve two-year electric rate freeze and two solar projects for a Meta data center
Critics say the rate freeze will only delay financial burdens on Alabama Power customers while preserving a high profit rate for the utility.
Auburn tabs USF’s Alex Golesh as its next coach, replacing Hugh Freeze on the Plains
The 41-year-old Golesh, who was born in Russia and moved to the United State at age 7, is signing a six-year contract that averages more than $7 million annually to replace Hugh Freeze. Freeze was fired in early November after failing to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three seasons on the Plains.
Alabama Power seeks to delay rate hike for new gas plant amid outcry
The state’s largest utility has proposed delaying the rate increase from its purchase of a $622 million natural gas plant until 2028.
Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones announces run for Alabama governor
Jones announced his campaign Monday afternoon, hours after filing campaign paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office. His gubernatorial bid could set up a rematch with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican who defeated Jones in 2020 and is now running for governor.
Scorching Saturdays: The rising heat threat inside football stadiums
Excessive heat and more frequent medical incidents in Southern college football stadiums could be a warning sign for universities across the country.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor to join our award-winning team covering important regional stories across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
