Eating time too impacts weight gain, shows study
July 11th, 2012 - 6:28 pm ICT by IANSAmsterdam, July 11 (IANS) Latest research holds that not only the quantity and type of food but also the time of day when it is eaten plays important role in contributing to obesity.
Previous studies have shown that when mice consumed all of their calories during their inactive period, they gained more weight than when they consumed the same amount of calories during their active period.
A team led by Susanne la Fleur and Andries Kalsbeek at the Academic Medical Centre of the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, investigated how certain components of diet, such as sugar or fat, contributed to differences in weight gain during different times of the day.
Joelle Oosterman, a team member, gave rats either rodent chow or chow plus either saturated fat or a sugar solution. One group was allowed to consume the diets freely whereas the other groups were only allowed to eat either the fat or sugar during their inactive period, according to an Amsterdam statement.
Researchers found that rats consuming all of their sugar solution in the inactive period gained more weight than rats consuming all their sugar solution during the active period, even though their total caloric intake was the same.
They also gained more weight than rats consuming the saturated fat solely during the inactive period. The greater body weight gain in rats consuming sugar in the inactive period was tied to less heat production.
This study suggests that there are differences in the impact sugar drinking can have on body weight gain, depending on the time it is consumed.
Oosterman said: “In today’s society where snacks containing saturated fat and beverages containing lots of sugar are readily available to people, it is important to understand the impact these food components have on energy balance.”
“Although there is a lot of attention for the content of the food people consume, little attention is been given to the best or worst timing for certain foods to be consumed,” Oosterman added.
These findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behaviour (SSIB).
- Fat substitutes in snacks may trigger weight gain - Jun 23, 2011
- Lose weight post-pregnancy - but don't rush it - Jun 15, 2012
- 'Junk food' mums more likely to have 'junk food' babies - Mar 24, 2011
- 'Junk food' moms have 'junk food' babies - Mar 24, 2011
- BP drug lowers weight in spite of high fat diet - Apr 13, 2012
- Turmeric may help walking ability in spinal injuries - Jun 27, 2012
- High-fat diet may injure brain cells regulating weight - Jun 09, 2011
- Calories, not carbs, key to weight loss - Feb 08, 2012
- Molasses extract helps in reducing obesity - Jul 12, 2011
- Foods that will sabotage your diet - Jan 12, 2011
- Protein diet in childhood takes a toll on food binges later - Sep 30, 2010
- Exercise can undo effects of maternal obesity - Feb 10, 2012
- Summer best time to shed weight - Apr 04, 2012
- Sugar substitutes help reduce caloric intake - Jul 23, 2010
- High-fat diet lowers blood sugar in diabetics - May 13, 2012
Tags: academic medical centre, amsterdam the netherlands, body weight gain, caloric intake, chow, different times, energy balance, food components, heat production, inactive period, joelle, la fleur, rats, rodent, saturated fat, sugar solution, team member, time of day, type of food, university of amsterdam