Study finds eight-hour eating window helps maintain weight loss for up to a year

A study conducted in Spain found that limiting daily food intake to an eight-hour window can help adults sustain weight loss for up to a year. The research was carried out by the University of Granada and its biomedical research institute, with 99 overweight or obese adults participating. Participants followed a 16:8 intermittent fasting method, fasting for 16 hours and eating within an eight-hour period, alongside a Mediterranean diet program. They were divided into four groups: a control group that maintained a 12-hour or longer eating window, an early fasting group eating between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and a late fasting group eating between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. After one year, both the early and late fasting groups retained significantly more weight loss than the control group. The early fasting group was the most successful at sustaining reductions in fat mass. Participants practicing intermittent fasting lost three to four kilograms more than those who received dietary advice alone. The researchers reported that a 12-week intermittent fasting period can be an effective strategy for mid-term weight control, with effects lasting months after the supervised intervention ends.