Intermittent fasting is one of the most popular diets in the world, especially sought after by those who want to lose weight. The idea is to go a long time without eating and eat sparingly within a predetermined period of time to encourage the body to expend more calories.
However, a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that the timing of meals has nothing to do with how much weight a person loses over time. The key to weight loss will be choosing smaller portions of foods that are lower in calories, regardless of the time of day.
The research was conducted by a research team from Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
The study included 550 adults, with an average age of 51, with at least a college degree, and most of them were women. Of the participants, 240 were obese, 169 were overweight and 138 were of a healthy weight.
The researchers used the Daily24 app, where participants recorded their sleeping and eating activities every day for one week every month for six months. Through the app, the researchers analyzed how many calories a person ate per day and how long they took between each meal.
The scientists observed that calorie counting was the only significant factor in weight loss. Long time intervals between meals, according to the research, did not affect the participants’ weight loss.
