Time-restricted Eating: Watching the Clock to Treat Obesity

Overview

Journal Cell Metab

Publisher Cell Press

Specialties Cell Biology
Endocrinology

Date 2024 Jan 4

PMID 38176412

Authors

Mark Ezpeleta

Sofia Cienfuegos

Shuhao Lin

Vasiliki Pavlou

Kelsey Gabel

Lisa Tussing-Humphreys

Krista A Varady

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Time-restricted eating (TRE) has become a popular strategy to treat obesity. TRE involves confining the eating window to 4-10 h per day and fasting for the remaining hours (14-20 h fast). During the eating window, individuals are not required to monitor food intake. The sudden rise in popularity of TRE is most likely due to its simplicity and the fact that it does not require individuals to count calories to lose weight. This feature of TRE may appeal to certain individuals with obesity, and this could help produce lasting metabolic health improvements. The purpose of this review is to summarize current evidence from randomized clinical trials of TRE (without calorie counting) on body weight and metabolic risk factors. The efficacy of TRE in various populations groups, including those with obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), is also examined.

Citing Articles

Circadian Disruption and the Risk of Developing Obesity.

Duez H, Staels B Curr Obes Rep. 2025; 14(1):20.

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Overcoming dietary complexity in type 2 diabetes: influencing factors and coping strategies.

Tang Y, Yang D Eur J Med Res. 2025; 30(1):82.

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Time Restricted Eating: A Valuable Alternative to Calorie Restriction for Addressing Obesity?.

Parrotta M, Colangeli L, Scipione V, Vitale C, Sbraccia P, Guglielmi V Curr Obes Rep. 2025; 14(1):17.

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Impact of Time-Restricted Eating and High-Intensity Exercise on Nutrient Intake in Women with Overweight/Obesity: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Haganes K, Devlin B, Orr R, Moholdt T Nutrients. 2025; 17(2.

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Effects of early, late and self-selected time-restricted eating on visceral adipose tissue and cardiometabolic health in participants with overweight or obesity: a randomized controlled trial.

Dote-Montero M, Clavero-Jimeno A, Merchan-Ramirez E, Oses M, Echarte J, Camacho-Cardenosa A Nat Med. 2025; 31(2):524-533.

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