Late meals affect risks of obesity

Eating late affects energy expenditure, appetite, adipose tissue and risks of obesity, according to researchers at the University of Chicago, whose paper was published in the journal Cell Metabolism.

A previous study by scientists found that eating late was associated with an increased risk of obesity, increased body fat and decreased success with weight loss.

The team studied 16 patients who were overweight or obese. They were divided into groups: in the first group, volunteers ate at certain hours of the day; people in the second group ate every four hours. The participants were also asked to note when they felt hungry. To monitor their condition, participants had blood tests, fat tissue samples, and body temperature and energy expenditure measured.

It turned out that eating later more than doubled the likelihood of hunger because of a decrease in the satiety hormone leptin. Besides, when participants ate later, they also burned calories slower and showed gene expression of adipose tissue toward its growth.
 

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