Examining Effect of Time-Restricted Eating for Weight Loss in Patients With Obesity

Results of recent data show that time-restricted eating (TRE), in the absence of other interventions, is not more effective than eating throughout the day for weight loss in patients with overweight and obesity.

In an effort to better understand the effects of a 16:8-hour time restricted eating schedule, a 12-week randomized clinical trial was designed with one group following a consistent meal timing schedule (CMT). The CMT group was instructed to eat 3 structured meals per day whereas the TRE group was instructed to eat ad libitum between 12:00pm and 8:00pm and abstain from all caloric intake between 8:00pm and 12:00pm the following day.

The final patient cohort of 116 participants included both men and women, aged between 18 and 64 years with a body mass index (BMI) between 27 and 43. Participants were provided with a Bluetooth scale to measure weight loss.

Secondary outcomes—measured from a subset of 50 participants who lived near San Francisco, CA, who underwent in-person testing and were equally divided between the CMT and TRE groups—included changes in weight, fat mass, lean mass, fasting insulin, fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c levels, estimated energy intake, total energy expenditure, and resting energy expenditure.

Per the final study’s findings, “There was a significant decrease in weight in the TRE (-0.94 kg; 95% CI, -1.68 to -0.20; P=.01), but no significant change in the CMT group (-0.68 kg; 95% CI, -1.41 to 0.05, P=.07) or between groups (-0.26 kg; 95% CI, -1.30 to 0.78; P=.63).”

Significant weight loss was observed among the TRE in-person cohort group (-1.70 kg; 95% CI, -2.56 to -0.83; P<.001).

“There was also a significant difference in appendicular lean mass index between groups (-0.16 kg/m2; 95% CI, -0.27 to -0.05; P=.005),” found the researchers.

Study data does not show any significant changes in secondary outcomes within or between groups. There was also no significant difference regarding energy intake.

Though results reveal successful weight loss, the study’s authors concluded that TRE, when not combined with other interventions is no more successful than CMT.

Reference:
Lowe DA, Wu N, Rohdin-Bibby L, et al. Effects of time-restricted eating on weight loss and other metabolic parameters in women and men with overweight and obesity: the TREAT randomized clinical trial [published correction appears in JAMA Intern Med. 2020 Nov 1;180(11):1555] [published correction appears in JAMA Intern Med. 2021 Jun 1;181(6):883]. JAMA Intern Med. 2020;180(11):1491-1499. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.4153