Annals of Internal MedicineTime-Restricted Eating Without Calorie Counting for Weight Loss in a Racially Diverse Population

Does the weight loss efficacy of time-restricted eating compare to that of traditional calorie restriction methods in a diverse population?

In a significant study examining the effectiveness of weight control and cardiometabolic risk reduction strategies, researchers focused on time-restricted eating (TRE) versus calorie restriction (CR).

Key Points:

• The study is a 12-month randomized controlled trial involving 90 adults with obesity.
• Intervention techniques included 8-hour TRE (eating between noon and 8:00 p.m. only, without calorie counting), CR (25% energy restriction daily), or control (eating over a period of 10 or more hours per day).
• Weight loss by month 12 was −4.61 kg for the TRE group and −5.42 kg for the CR group, with no statistically significant difference between TRE and CR.

Additional Points:

• 77 persons completed the study with a mean age of 40 years, 33% were Black, and 46% were Hispanic.
• Limitations of the study include not being blinded, not being powered to detect relatively large differences in weight loss, and lack of adjustment for multiple comparisons.

Conclusion:

• Although TRE does produce effective weight loss compared with the control group, it was not more effective than calorie restriction in a racially diverse population.

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Did You Know?
According to the CDC, as of 2020, the prevalence of obesity was 42.4% in the United States, emphasizing the need for effective weight management strategies.