A recent study supports one recommendation that dieticians have been giving for a long time: establish regular mealtimes. The study, conducted by Satchidananda Panda, an assistant professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, showed that mice on a regular feeding schedule have significantly more efficient metabolisms than mice who are allowed to eat at will. Panda allowed both groups of mice to eat the same amounts of food for two weeks and then performed gene scans to examine activity in their livers.
The mice that ate freely showed chaotic metabolism genes in their livers because they were frequently eating or nibbling. Nearly 3,000 genes involving burning fat and sugar were expressed in their livers. By contrast, the mice that fed on a schedule had a consistent pattern of gene expression; they burned sugar while feeding, but their bodies did not commence burning fat until several hours later. Panda's research also supports the idea that people should abstain from eating for at least eight to 12 hours day in order to trigger fat-burning.
Based on his research, Panda has adopted a policy of eating only between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and he reports losing weight since beginning the schedule a year ago.
(Source: www.forbes.com)
Labels: obesity, weight-control
Posted By: Aspen Education Group