Research

Energy balance

Time-restricted eating (TRE) with an 8-hour daily eating window significantly reduces body weight and fat mass in adults with obesity compared to control groups, particularly when the intervention lasts longer than 12 weeks.

If you have obesity, try restricting your eating to an 8-hour window each day (e.g., 10 AM to 6 PM). This approach is more effective for weight and fat loss than no time restriction, especially if you stick with it for more than 3 months. While it doesn't significantly change blood sugar or cholesterol markers in obese adults, it is a viable strategy for weight management. Be aware that adherence may be challenging due to social obligations, so consistency is key.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Results indicated that TRE had a greater decrease in body weight (−1.28 kg; 95% CI [−2.05, −0.52], p = 0.001), fat mass (−0.72 kg; 95% CI [−1.40, −0.03], p = 0.04)... The 8-h eating window showed a significant weight reduction (−1.18 kg; 95% CI [−2.03, −0.33], p = 0.007, I2 = 0%) compared to the control group... in studies >12 weeks... weight (−2.05 kg; 95% CI [−3.26, −0.84], p = 0.0009, I2 = 0%) and fat mass (−1.33 kg; 95% CI [−2.41, −0.24], p = 0.02, I2 = 0%)
Wei‐Yi Chen et al. · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2023

Why this rating

Based on a meta-analysis of 9 RCTs with 665 participants, though some studies had high risk of bias or short duration.

Source

Health effects of the time-restricted eating in adults with obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Wei‐Yi Chen et al. · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2023

DOI 10.3389/fnut.2023.1079250

Meta-analysis · 9 studiesCited 40×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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