Association between eating frequency, weight, and health

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Dietary Interventions
• Weight Management

Background:

• Public, media, and health professional interest exists regarding the impact of eating frequency (EF) on weight and health.
• Nutritional interventions focusing on weight loss and maintenance are common, but the role of EF remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing nutritional interventions longer than one week to determine the association between eating frequency (EF) and weight and health outcomes.
• To synthesize the current evidence on EF's impact on weight management and overall health.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of nutritional weight-loss and -maintenance interventions exceeding one week in duration.
• Inclusion criteria focused on studies examining the relationship between EF and weight/health outcomes.
• Identified 176 studies, with 25 meeting criteria, and 10 specifically for weight-loss interventions.

Main Results:

• Generally small sample sizes and short intervention durations were noted across studies.
• Inconsistent definitions of an eating occasion and lack of measurement for key outcomes like physical activity, adherence, and hunger were common.
• Limited evidence indicates no significant association between EF and weight or health in weight-loss or -maintenance interventions.

Conclusions:

• The current evidence suggests no definitive link between eating frequency and weight or health outcomes.
• A potential inverse association between EF and lipids was observed in weight-maintenance interventions.
• Further research with longer durations, larger sample sizes, and comprehensive outcome measures is necessary to clarify the role of EF.