Loma Linda University Researchers Find Links Between Beal Frequency and BMI

Loma Linda University Researchers Find Links Between Beal Frequency and BMI

Researchers have found that timing and frequency of meals play an important role in predicting weight gain or loss.

A study by researchers from the Loma Linda University School of Public Health and the Czech Republic has found that the timing and frequency of meals play a role in predicting weight loss or gain.

Using information gleaned from more than 50,000 participants in the Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2), the researchers discovered four factors associated with a decrease in body mass index: eating only one or two meals per day; maintaining an overnight fast of up to 18 hours; eating breakfast instead of skipping it; and making breakfast or lunch the largest meal of the day. Making breakfast the largest meal yielded a more significant decrease in BMI than did lunch.

The two factors associated with higher BMI were eating more than three meals per day —snacks were counted as extra meals — and making supper the largest meal of the day.

As a practical weight-management strategy, Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, recommends eating breakfast and lunch, skipping supper, avoiding snacks, making breakfast the largest meal of the day and fasting overnight for up to 18 hours. A postdoctoral research fellow at Loma Linda University School of Public Health when the study was conducted, Kahleova is director of clinical research for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, DC, and is currently on sabbatical from the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague, Czech Republic, as a postdoctoral research fellow and diabetes consultant physician.

Kahleova says the findings confirm an ancient nutritional maxim: “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.”

Titled “Meal frequency and timing are associated with Body Mass Index in the Adventist Health Study-2,” the study was co-written by Gary Fraser, MBChB, PhD, a professor at Loma Linda University schools of Medicine and Public Health, and director of AHS-2. It was published as an online advance on July 12, 2017, and will appear in the Sept. 2017 edition of the Journal of Nutrition.

In addition to Fraser and Kahleova, the research team included Jan Irene Lloren, MPH, Andrew Mashchak, MS, and Martin Hill, DrSc. Lloren and Mashchak are biostatisticians at Linda University School of Public Health, and Hill is a researcher at the Institute of Endocrinology in Prague, Czech Republic.

Fraser said that irrespective of meal pattern, there was, on average, an increase in weight gain year by year until participants reached the age of 60. After age 60, most participants experienced a weight loss each year.

“Before age 60 years, those eating calories earlier in the day had less weight gain,” Fraser said, adding that after age 60, the same behavior tended to produce a larger rate of weight loss than average. “Over decades, the total effect would be very important.”

The team employed a technique called linear regression analysis and adjusted their findings to exclude demographic and lifestyle factors that might skew the results.

The full text of the study — which was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute, the World Cancer Research Fund, and the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic — is available online at https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.116.244749.

Originally found here

 

Related Articles

More From To Your Health

The Chia Seed

The Chia Seed has the highest and safest combination of Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants,…
The Chia Seed

Hydrotherapy with David DeRose, MD

An ancient therapy, as far back as recorded time and beyond, without the need of a prescription…
Hydrotherapy with David DeRose, MD

The Milk Myth

Do all children need cow's milk to grow strong bones and teeth? Is cow's milk good for…
The Milk Myth

Reducing Chronic Disease

Thirty-five years ago, I had the privilege of attending Loma Linda University School of Health…
Reducing Chronic Disease
Exercise

Exercise 2

We were created for action. Exercise provides greater vitality, extra energy, and a longer…
Exercise 2

Who Gets Bone Disease?

"Dietary protein increases production of acid in the bloodwhich can be neutralized by calcium…
Who Gets Bone Disease?

Tea Skin Care

Green tea, has a long and rich history.
Tea Skin Care

Not So Sweet

You have probably heard these sayings: “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.” “A balanced diet…
Not So Sweet

Grandma's Natural Remedies

Baking Soda Makes for Whiter Teeth: Teeth begin to lack a little luster after a while.…
Grandma's Natural Remedies
Fresh Air

Fresh Air

Smog's Contribution to Illness You feel like someone's choking you! Your chest feels tight --…
Fresh Air
Rest

Rest

Today, as never before, "the pressure is on:" Pressure to beat out the other guy for the top…
Rest

Drink Milk Udder Propaganda

It takes 21.2 lbs of milk to make 1 lb of butter.It takes 10 lbs of milk to make 1 lb of hard…
Drink Milk Udder Propaganda

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

A baffling, frustrating problem for doctors and patients alike, IBS affects as many as 20…
Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Publish the Menu module to "offcanvas" position. Here you can publish other modules as well.
Learn More.


donation