Eating same meals every day may help boost weight loss, study finds
· Toronto Sun
A new study suggests that eating the same meals every day as opposed to a variety of foods can help boost weight loss.
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Researchers published their results in the journal Health Psychology after 112 overweight or obese adults in the United States tracked their eating habits through an app over a 12-week period. Some maintained keeping their calories steady over time while the rest ate different foods each day.
Researchers believed that a more consistent diet of healthy foods would spur additional weight loss.
The study found that those who consumed the same meals more regularly lost an average of 5.9% of their body weight, while others slimmed down 4.3% with a more varied diet.
“The current study suggests that establishing routines around eating behaviour, such as maintaining a stable calorie intake and frequently repeating meals and snacks, can help adults with overweight/obesity lose weight,” lead author Charlotte Hagerman, of the Oregon Research Institute, said in the research paper .
Majority in U.S. overweight or obese
More than 70% of Americans are either overweight or obese, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease . That’s because food options — especially unhealthy, processed meals — south of the border are available everywhere for anyone who craves a tasty bite.
Food companies, which have recognized this trait about human behaviour, have engineered and marketed ultra-processed foods that are rich in fats, sugars and salts.
“Maintaining a healthy diet in today’s food environment requires constant effort and self-control,” Hagerman told the American Psychological Association . “Creating routines around eating may reduce that burden and make healthy choices feel more automatic.”
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While researchers said the study only suggests a correlation to weight loss, further study is needed as motivation or self-discipline may also play a part.
In addition, the study’s authors also recognize previous research that a variety of foods was linked to healthier lifestyles.
“If we lived in a healthier food environment, we might encourage people to have as much variety in their diet as possible,” Hagerman said.
“However, our modern food environment is too problematic. Instead, people may do best with a more repetitive diet that helps them consistently make healthier choices, even if they might sacrifice some nutritional variety.”