Time-Restricted Eating: Revolutionary Health Hack or Disordered Eating Gateway?
Unpacking the Science and Skepticism Behind Eating by the Clock
There is a lot of focus in the fitness world on time restricted eating. Several benefits are often touted, of course weight loss appears all over it. I also see a lot of the cortisol hacking crowd talking about meal timing to hack your imbalanced hormones. Again, this is touted as a way to lose weight. I’ve even seen this referred to as chrono-eating. Sounds cool and futuristic.
So, what is it and does it matter?
Time-restricted eating (TRE) is a dietary approach where individuals limit their food intake to specific hours of the day, typically within an 8 to 12-hour window, and fast for the remaining hours. This pattern aims to align eating habits with the body's natural circadian rhythms, potentially improving metabolism and enhancing overall health. Of course it has been linked to weight loss. Unlike other diets that focus on what to eat, TRE emphasises when to eat.
Time-Restricted Eating (TRE) is a form of Intermittent Fasting (IF). While IF can involve various fasting/eating interval patterns, such as 24-hour fasts a few times a week or fasting on alternate days, TRE specifically restricts eating to a certain window each day. Both approaches aim to extend fasting periods to induce health benefits, but TRE places a greater emphasis on when you eat rather than just the fasting period itself.
I know what you’re thinking. Most people have been going to sleep each night for their entire lives, and unless they sleep walk and raid the fridge, they naturally follow a form of time-restricted eating by not eating during the night, which imposes a fasting period. Not exactly ground breaking. Why does it need a label?
There’s a tendency to blame modern lifestyles which often extend eating times into late evening, reducing the fasting window.
Critics of time-restricted eating (TRE) often express concerns about its practicality and potential negative effects. They argue that TRE may be challenging to sustain long-term, especially for individuals with irregular schedules or social and family commitments that involve meals. There's also scepticism about TRE's effectiveness compared to other dietary approaches, with critics pointing out the need for more comprehensive research to fully understand its health benefits. Some also caution that TRE could potentially lead to disordered eating patterns in susceptible individuals by encouraging an unhealthy focus on strict eating windows.
Let’s dive into a few recent research papers on TRE. Hoping to answer the questions of what happens while you sleep? What happens if you eat late? What are the benefits (if any) of eating to align more closely with the body's circadian rhythms and should we care about an eating schedule?
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