8-Hour Eating Window Sustains Weight Loss 12 Months After 12-Week Diet Trial
Updated
Updated · SciTechDaily · Jul 13
8-Hour Eating Window Sustains Weight Loss 12 Months After 12-Week Diet Trial
3 articles · Updated · SciTechDaily · Jul 13
Summary
A 12-month follow-up found overweight or obese adults kept off more weight after a 12-week 16:8 intermittent-fasting program than peers who continued eating across 12 hours or more.
Ninety-nine adults all received Mediterranean-diet guidance, but those assigned to early or late 8-hour windows maintained significantly greater weight loss a year later.
The early-fasting group—eating before 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.—also preserved a larger reduction in fat mass, suggesting timing may matter for body composition even when both schedules aid weight control.
One in three participants kept practicing intermittent fasting on their own during follow-up, supporting the researchers' view that flexible time-restricted eating may be easier to sustain in obesity treatment.