A peer-reviewed study conducted by the Journal of the American Heart Association found that increasing meals may be more effective for weight loss than intermittent fasting.
The study used a mobile app called Daily24 to observe 547 participants over 6 years. The participants were all over the age of eighteen. They were chosen from three health systems based in Maryland and Pennsylvania. A health system is an organization of people, resources, and institutions that delivers healthcare services to meet the healthcare needs of the system’s target population.
80% of the participants self-identified as white, 12% self-identified as black, and 3% self-identified as Asian.
The app was developed specifically for this study. The participants used it to record the timing of their meals and sleep. Time was recorded using a 24-hour wheel. The participants did not have to record exactly what they ate, only the size of the meal selected from a drop-down menu.
A small meal is considered less than 500 calories. A medium meal is considered 500 to 1,000 calories. A large meal is considered over 1,000 calories.
During the first four weeks, the participants were sent emails, texts, and in-app notifications to encourage them to use the app as much as possible.
“When I think about intermittent fasting I feel like you only get a couple of meals in,” said Nicholas Joyner, a Georgia Southern University student.
Joyner does not consider himself an intermittent faster, although he only eats from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. He chooses to fast from 11pm-8am to reach his body weight goals. Joyner wants to drop fat and add muscle.
Kyra Dorsey, a Georgia Southern University student, used intermittent fasting as part of her healthcare plan when diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
“I would eat breakfast in the morning and then most of the time it would be twelve hours in between and I’d eat dinner,” Dorsey said.
Dorsey lost 40 pounds and stopped intermittent fasting when her body regulated itself.
Benjamin Horne, the director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at Intermountain Heart Institute, has been studying intermittent fasting since 2002. He believes intermittent fasting is effective, but the effectiveness depends on what you are studying.
Horne’s research has found that time-restricted eating does not produce quick weight loss results. He has found that the effects fasting has on the body such as lowering glucose and insulin levels, could eventually lead to weight loss with proper nutrition.
In conclusion, the study implicated that the number of daily meals was positively associated with weight change over the 6 years. The time interval between their first and last meal was not associated with weight change.