A Smartphone Intervention to Promote Time Restricted Eating Reduces Body Weight and Blood Pressure in Adults with Overweight and Obesity: A Pilot Study
Malini Prasad, Keenan Fine, Allen Gee, Nandini Nair, Collin Popp, Bin Cheng, Emily N. C. Manoogian, Satchidananda Panda, Blandine Laferrère
Abstract
The goal of this study was to test the feasibility of time restricted eating (TRE) in adults with overweight and obesity. Participants (n = 50) logged all eating occasions (>0 kcal) for a 2-week run-in period using a smartphone application. Participants with eating duration ≥14 h enrolled in an open label, non-randomized, prospective 90-day TRE intervention, with a self-selected reduced eating window of 10 h. No dietary counseling was provided. Changes in anthropometrics, eating patterns and adherence after TRE were analyzed using t-tests or Wilcoxon Rank-Sum Test. The mean duration of the baseline eating window was 14 h 32 m ± 2 h 36 m (n = 50) with 56% of participants with duration ≥14 h. TRE participants (n = 16) successfully decreased their eating window from 16 h 04 m ± 1 h 24 m to 11 h 54 m ± 2 h 06 m (p < 0.001), and reduced the number of daily eating occasions by half (p < 0.001). Adherence to logging and to the reduced eating window was 64% ± 22% and 47% ± 19%, respectively. TRE resulted in decreases in body weight (−2.1 ± 3.0 kg, p = 0.017), waist circumference (−2.2 ± 4.6 cm, p = 0.002) and systolic blood pressure (−12 ± 11 mmHg, p = 0.002). This study demonstrates the feasibility and efficacy of TRE administered via a smartphone, in adults with overweight and obesity.