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Modern findings continue to support that the dynamics surrounding weight gain are complex. According to Fred Turek from the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology, “How or why a person gains weight is very complicated – but it is clearly not just calories in and calories out.” Hormonal actions, genetics, psychological issues, body temperature, and sleeping patterns are all considered influential factors of weight gain. Research conducted at Northwestern University, Illinois, examined the effects of eating late to gaining weight. The study observed two groups of mice fed at different times of the day to examine potential differences in weight gain. Both groups were provided with a high-fat diet, but at different segments of time during their “waking cycle”. One group ingested food at a normal time of the day, while the other group ate when they would normally be sleeping. Both groups engaged in the same levels of activity and were provided with equivalent calories. When weight gain values were compared between the two groups, the group that ate at times when they would normally be sleeping gained twice as much weight. This study is one of the first to demonstrate that there may be a ‘wrong’ time to eat. Recent research has suggested that the circadian rhythm can have a role in the body’s utilization of energy, but nothing has pinpointed differences in utilization dependent on nutrient timing during this rhythm. The lead author of the study, Deanna Arble, explains that the motivation behind looking into this concept was driven by their research interest in shift workers who have a high propensity for being overweight. Shift workers may be forced to eat at non-optimal times of the day, resulting in weight gain. The results of this study could be viewed as controversial when applied to humans, but a practical application may still be derived. It demonstrates that proper timing of meals may be even more important than previously considered. One may theorize that a delayed dinner or late night snack may lead to additional weight gain when observing these results. All the diverse aspects contributing to weight gain may still remain misunderstood, but this new study provides the potential to put a few of the pieces together. (Obesity, September 2009) |
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Eating Late May Lead to Gaining Weightposted Oct 28, 2009 11:39 AM by Bergen Sharks |