Effects of Time Restricted Eating on Weight, Mood, and Quality of Life
Time-restricted eating and Calorie Restriction Show Similar Weight Loss but No Significant Impact on Mood and Quality of Life
In a new study, researchers set out to explore the effects of two popular weight loss strategies: time-restricted eating (TRE) and daily calorie restriction (CR), particularly focusing on how these regimens influence mood and quality of life in adults with obesity.
The Study
Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: an 8-hour TRE group (eating only between 12:00 and 8:00 p.m. without calorie counting), a CR group (aiming for a 25% reduction in daily caloric intake), and a control group with no dietary intervention. The researchers measured depression symptoms, mood and quality of life before and after the 12-month dietary interventions.
Interestingly, both the TRE and CR groups exhibited notable weight loss (reductions of 4.87% and 5.30% respectively), a promising outcome for those seeking weight loss strategies - irrespective of the diet, TRE or CR.
When it came to mood and quality of life, the findings were unexpectedly uniform across the board: neither the TRE nor the CR group showed any significant changes in depression or mood when compared with the control group.
This suggests that, despite weight loss, the chosen dietary approach did not substantially influence these aspects of mental health and emotional well-being.
Quality of life measures, encompassing mental health, bodily pain, and general physical health, remained largely unchanged in both the TRE and CR groups compared to controls. However, there was a notable, albeit marginal, increase in vitality among those in the TRE group.
Intriguingly, the study also found no associations between changes in body weight, physical activity, mood, and quality of life in any of the groups by the end of the study, suggesting improving mood and quality of life is more complicated than simply losing weight.
Bottom Line
While TRE and CR are effective for weight loss, they do not significantly impact mood or quality of life in adults with obesity over a year. These findings, potentially pave the way for more nuanced dietary guidelines and weight management strategies in the future.
Source: 10.3390/nu15204313