The Study
Meal timing effects on insulin sensitivity and intrahepatic triglycerides during weight loss
This study gave two groups of men different times to eat their meals while both lost the same amount of weight. It found that when you lose weight, your body gets better at using insulin and storing less fat in the liver—no matter if you ate most of your food in the morning or evening. So, it tells us that when you're losing weight, when you eat might not matter as much as how much you eat.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Two groups of overweight men ate the same total calories but one ate most in the morning and the other most at night — both lost the same amount of weight and got equally healthier.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 546 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — this means eating your calories earlier won't give you extra fat loss or metabolic benefits beyond just eating fewer calories and losing weight.
- 2Both groups lost about 6.5% of their body weight.
- 3Liver fat dropped a lot, and insulin sensitivity got much better — but it didn't matter if they ate big breakfasts or big dinners.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
International Journal of Obesity
Year
2018
Authors
R. Versteeg, M. Ackermans, A. Nederveen, E. Fliers, M. Serlie, S. E. Fleur
Related Content
Claims (6)
People who engage in regular physical exercise maintain stable insulin sensitivity across the entire day, regardless of when they eat meals.
Obese men with insulin resistance who lose about 6.5% of their body weight over four weeks experience improved insulin sensitivity in the liver and muscles and a reduction in liver fat, regardless of whether they eat most of their calories in the morning or evening.
In obese men with insulin resistance, spreading calories throughout the day versus eating more in the morning or evening does not change how many calories the body burns at rest or how it uses fuel during weight loss.
For obese men with insulin resistance, losing weight improves insulin sensitivity and reduces liver fat regardless of whether most calories are eaten in the morning or in the evening.
In obese men with insulin resistance, eating fewer calories for four weeks lowers liver fat and improves how the body responds to insulin, regardless of when meals are eaten.
For obese men with insulin resistance on a calorie-restricted diet for four weeks, eating half of their daily calories in the morning instead of the evening does not further improve insulin sensitivity or reduce liver fat beyond what is caused by losing weight.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.