When trying to lose weight, people have often been told to not eat anything after 6 or 7 pm. But is this behavior change really effective for weight loss and control? Northwestern University did an experiment to see if this was true.
Researchers fed two groups of mice an identical high fat diet, but they fed them at different times. (Mice are sometimes better volunteers than people!) The control group was fed during the active part of their day. The experimental group was fed the same diet but just shortly before they would go to sleep for the day.
At the end of the 6-week study period, both groups ate about the same number of calories and performed the same amount of exercise. The control mice gained 20 percent of their body weight during the 6 weeks. The experimental group "simulating late-night eaters" showed a 48 percent increase in body weight.
The lead researcher pointed out that this study needs to be repeated now with human subjects, but it does suggest that late night eating may be worse in terms of excess weight gain than eating during normal wakeful and active hours. He also pointed out that in our society today, more than 60 percent of all adults are overweight and most people eat the majority of their calories after sunset. Is it any wonder that obesity is so common?
Bottom line: Do you want to maintain a healthy weight? Be physically active 30-60 minutes daily. Choose healthy unrefined foods. Eat most of your calories earlier in the day while you are active and you burn them up. Keep the evening meal light and avoid late-night snacking (no food after 6 or 7 pm). Other research shows that if you go to bed on an empty stomach (as opposed to a heavy meal) you sleep better, and your body burns almost pure fat during the night (mobilizing energy from fat stores). When sleeping on a full stomach, the body stores extra fat most of the night.
Obesity. Oct. 2009. |
