Eating After Dark

Ever hear someone say "I don't eat anything after 7:00 pm"? Oprah is a big proponent of this weight loss method. It is easy to follow. Eat a healthy diet during the day and stop eating by a certain time in the evening, which is usually 7 or 8 pm. Magically, weight loss happens. Or at least Oprah says it does. But does it really?

Researchers at Ohio State University conducted a study to see if the time of day you eat really does affect your weight. The scientists exposed three groups of mice to different lighting cycles. Group 1 was exposed to 16 hours of bright light and 8 hours of darkness (typical day). Group 2 was exposed to 24 hours of bright light with no darkness and Group 3 was exposed to 16 hours of bright light and 8 hours of dim light. The mice were given the same amount of the same food. The mice in Groups 2 & 3, with non-typical lighting cycles, gained 50% more weight. The researchers found that when exposed to this much light, much of the food the mice ate was eaten during normal dark hours.

In their next experiment, they used the same 3 lighting cycles and food rations but the mice could only eat during normal eating times. When the mice ate during normal eating and activity hours, they did not gain weight.

It is much too early to make recommendations based on this one experiment with mice but it is interesting that weight gain happened when they ate during non-activity times.

Personally, I think weight loss occurs when people stop eating after a certain time in the evening because they are eating less calories. The foods we tend to go to for that after dinner snack are not typically healthy. I, for one, do not crave celery sticks before going to bed. I'm much more likely to reach for cookies and milk or brownies, or peanut m&m's. Others may prefer potato chips or ice cream. None of these are low calorie items. Eliminating that snack could potentially save hundreds of calories.