Intermittent fasting is not as effective as calorie cutting

In a study published on January 18, American Heart Association Journal, Researchers enrolled approximately 550 adults from three health centers.

They obtained people’s height and weight measurements from electronic health records. This was used to calculate participants. body mass index (BMI), is a screening tool for overweight and obesity. A high BMI does not necessarily mean a high body fat percentage.

participant is mobile app Six months to record when they slept, meal times and approximate amounts.

In addition, people responded to surveys about their physical activity level, food intake, whether they were trying to lose weight, smoking status, and other factors.

Researchers followed participants for an average of 6.3 years. This includes both his 6 months post enrolment and years ago.

The results showed that both large meals (estimated at 1,000 calories or more) and moderate meals (estimated at 500-1,000 calories) were associated with weight gain over 6 years of follow-up.

In contrast, smaller meals (estimated less than 500 calories) were associated with weight loss.

However, meal timing was not associated with weight change during the follow-up period. This includes the time between the first and last meal of the day.

some kind of intermittent fasting Meals, called timed meals, are limited to short times of the day, such as between 8am and 4pm.

The average meal duration in the new study was 11.5 hours, with an average fast of 12.5 hours.

Other types of fasting include not eating one day a week or skipping an intermediate meal each day. The researchers did not examine these other types of fasting patterns.

Doctor Mir AliHe is a bariatric surgeon and medical director of the Memorial Care Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.

“People who gain weight tend to eat more, so they’re taking in more calories throughout the day,” he said.

“Eating larger meals makes it easier to take in extra calories, as opposed to eating smaller meals more frequently, which can help keep total calories in check,” he says. said.

Doctor William DietzHe is a pediatrician and director of the STOP Obesity Alliance at George Washington University in Washington, DC.

“This suggests that multiple small meals can affect satiety. [feeling full],” He said.

But many factors influence weight loss and weight gain, he said.

The study found that meal frequency and total caloric intake (as indicated by meal size) were associated with changes in body weight, but since this was an observational study, the researchers did not directly Cause and effect could not be proven.

Another limitation of the study was that participants were asked to estimate meal sizes, which Dietz said would be difficult for many people.

“It will be difficult, too,” he said. [obesity research] is my field. “

One of the things this study shows is how difficult it is to do good research on meal timing and quantity, especially over time.

One of the challenges, he said, is that different approaches work for different people.

“Some people benefit from intermittent fasting, such as consuming meals in six- to eight-hour windows,” he said.

In two previous studies, 11 hours Also 8 hours The window was related to weight loss. Both of these were small pilot studies.

in contrast, Large randomized controlled trials Fasting for 16 hours each day was found to be less effective for weight loss than eating all day.

One approach that Ali thinks works for some people is Portion guideThere are many different versions including Printable plate template.

“It helps people be more aware of what they’re eating,” he said. You may not realize it.”

No matter what approach people take to reach their weight loss goals, Allison Chasea clinical psychologist and an eating disorder specialist at the Center for Eating Recovery, warns against overdoing it.

“radical [eating] Measures can lead to disruption of eating patterns,” she said.

She encourages people to consider their specific circumstances, including physical and mental health, and seek professional support to help them reach their health goals.

“Using healthy, positive coping strategies, such as mindfulness and healthy activities such as social interaction and mindful movement, is a way for people to achieve their health goals and to help them achieve their goals. You don’t have to use unhealthy eating strategies to manage .