For the first time, eating early in the day has been reported in humans to reduce diurnal fluctuations in hunger and alter the 24-hour pattern of fat oxidation and energy metabolism, which may aid weight loss. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have been trying to find out whether changing a person's eating schedule can help them lose weight and burn fat. With the method, people eat their last meal in the middle of the afternoon and they don't start eating again until breakfast the next morning.
"Eating alone during a much smaller portion of the time than people typically do could aid weight loss," the researcher said. “We found that eating between 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM, followed by 6:00 PM eating nothing, appetite levels were more preserved throughout the day, compared to eating from 8:00 AM to 8:00 AM, which is what the average person is doing." Skipping dinner may also have some benefits for weight loss, although further studies need to be done to confirm that theory.
