Timing of meals could aid weight loss for dieters

Brits who are looking to shed a few pounds following the festive period could do so by paying more attention to the time of day they are eating.
According to researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston, the University of Murcia and Tufts University, weight loss may be associated with when people have their meals, as well as what food they consume.
This is after the scientists found 420 overweight Spanish dieters on a 20-week programme dropped more pounds when they had their main dish before 15:00 CET, compared to those ate it later, despite the fact all groups had a similar calorie intake.
Author of the study Dr Frank Scheer, director of the Medical Chronobiology Program and associate neuroscientist at BWH, said this is the first large-scale analysis demonstrating the timing of meals predicts weight loss effectiveness.
“Late eaters displayed a slower weight loss rate and lost significantly less weight than early eaters, suggesting that the timing of large meals could be an important factor in a weight loss program,” he added.
Researchers found the timing of eating smaller dishes did not have an impact on the participants’ ability to drop weight.