Time-Restricted Eating vs. Standard Dieting for Weight Loss

An increasingly publicized intervention for weight reduction is time-restricted eating, in which food intake is confined to a shortened period each day. Rationales for this method include better adherence (for some people) and potentially favorable effects on metabolism. In this trial from China, researchers randomized 139 adults (mean age, 32) with overweight or obesity to either time-restricted or standard dieting. All participants were given calorie-restricted diets (about 25% fewer calories than baseline intake); however, the time-restricted group was asked to eat only between 8 am and 4 pm, whereas the standard-diet group had no time restriction. At baseline, mean weight was 88 kg, and mean body-mass index was 32 kg/m². Substantial die…