India McCarty
It seems like every day new information comes out about a diet or weight loss hack that is a surefire way to shed a few pounds. One of the latest trends is intermittent fasting, but a new study has revealed surprising information about the effectiveness of this dieting method.
The study looked at the eating habits of nearly 550 adults (average age 51) in areas of Maryland and Pennsylvania. The researchers specifically looked at the impact of the timing of food consumption and its relationship to weight gain.
Food intake timing (also known as intermittent fasting) is a new weight loss trend that encourages people to stop eating for a specific time each day or week.
For example, some people alternate their fast from day to day, eating normally one day and eating nothing the next. Others decide to stop eating at a certain time each day and don’t eat again until the next morning.
Dr. Wendy Bennett, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and one of the study’s co-authors, discussed her findings.
According to Bennett, study subjects used an app to track their eating, sleeping and exercise habits. So what were the findings?
Does Intermittent Fasting Really Affect Weight Loss?
According to the study, the conclusions of which were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the timing of meals has almost no impact on a person’s weight. The main cause of weight gain? The amount of food consumed.
The study explained that they “found an association between eating more frequent and larger meals per day and increased weight, indicating that overall total calorie intake is the primary driver of weight gain.” .
They also added that the study results “did not support the use of time-restricted eating as a long-term weight loss strategy in a general medical population.”
These discoveries are not really revolutionary. Even though everyone is looking for a magic weight loss method, one of the most important factors when it comes to losing weight is the number of calories consumed.
Rigid meal times and skipping meals on certain days probably won’t have the major impact that many are hoping for. Intermittent fasting can be helpful when trying to lose weight, but ultimately it all comes down to the nutrients in the foods you eat.