The benefits of regular eating
Researchers from England's University of Nottingham compared a
regular (6 meals per day) with an irregular (3–9 meals per
day) eating pattern [2]. In the study, 10 obese but otherwise
healthy women participated in two free-living dietary phases, each
lasting two weeks.
In one phase of the study, subjects were asked to eat six times
per day. In the other phase, the women were asked to consume their
usual diet in a prescribed, yet chaotic fashion (7, 4, 9, 3, 5,
8, 6, 5, 9, 8, 3, 4, 7, and 6 meals on days 1–14 of the study,
respectively). The average number of meals per day was identical
in both phases.
The regular eating frequency was associated with a lower reported
calorie intake. The researchers also conclude that the irregular
eating frequency may have reduced insulin sensitivity because that
pattern was linked with a lower, a higher peak insulin concentration,
and a larger rise in insulin levels after a meal.
The problem here is that each dietary phase lasted only 14 days
and the effects were relatively small (roughly 9% greater peak
postprandial insulin concentration and an 8% lower thermic effect
of food). There is also the issue of the poor validity
of food intake records, particularly those from overweight persons
[1]. Plus, we know that exercise improves insulin
action [3]. Adding a program of resistance and aerobic exercise
to the diet may have eliminated any differences in insulin action
between the groups.
References
1. Livingstone, M.B., & Black, A.E. (2003). Markers of the
validity of reported energy intake. Journal
of Nutrition,133, 895S-920S
2. Farshchi, H.R., Taylor, M.A., & Macdonald, I.A. (2005). Beneficial metabolic
effects of regular meal frequency on dietary thermogenesis, insulin sensitivity,
and fasting lipid profiles in healthy obese women. American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 81, 16-24
3. Evans, E.M., Racette, S.B., Peterson, L.R., Villareal, D.T., Greiwe, J.S., & Holloszy,
J.O. (2005). Aerobic power and insulin action improve in response to endurance
exercise training in healthy 77-87 yr olds. Journal
of Applied Physiology, 98, 40-45
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