Early Time-Restricted Eating Effective for Weight Loss

A US randomized clinical trial suggested that early time-restricted eating (eTRE) was more effective for weight loss than eating over a window of 12 or more hours. A total of 90 obese participants (mean body mass index, 39.6; age, 43 years; 80% female) received weight-loss treatment (energy restriction [ER] of 500 calories per day below their resting energy expenditure and exercised for 75 to 150 minutes per week) and were randomized to eTRE plus ER (8-hour eating window from 7:00 to 15:00) or control eating (CON) plus ER (≥12-hour window). The eTRE+ER group adhered 6.0 days per week. At 14 weeks, the eTRE+ER intervention was more effective for losing weight (−2.3 kg; P = .002) but did not significantly affect body fat (−1.4 kg; P = .09) or the ratio of fat loss to weight loss (−4.2%; P = .43). The effects of eTRE+ER were equivalent to reducing calorie intake by an additional 214 kcal/d. The eTRE+ER intervention also improved diastolic blood pressure (−4 mm Hg; P = .04) and mood disturbances, including fatigue-inertia, vigor-activity, and depression-dejection. All other cardiometabolic risk factors, food intake, physical activity, and sleep outcomes were similar between groups. In a secondary analysis of 59 completers, eTRE+ER was also more effective for losing body fat and trunk fat than CON+ER. The findings support a time-restricted diet in addition to calorie restriction for weight loss although there are some inconsistencies with previous similar studies. Source: https://jamanetwork.com/