Thursday, December 06, 2012

Eating Fewer, Larger Meals May Prove Healthier for Obese Women

What is needed is to pay attention to what works for you and what doesn't. This may seem obvious, but some people will stick to fixed ideas even when they aren't working.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121206131832.htm

ScienceDaily (Dec. 6, 2012) — Media articles and nutritionists alike have perpetuated the idea that for healthy metabolisms individuals should consume small meals multiple times a day. However, new research conducted at the University of Missouri suggests all-day snacking might not be as beneficial as previously thought, especially for obese women.

"Our data suggests that, for obese women, eating fewer, bigger meals may be more advantageous metabolically compared to eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day," said the study's lead author, Tim Heden, a doctoral student in MU's Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. "Eating larger meals less often lowered blood-fat levels. Over time, consistently eating fewer, larger meals each day could lower the women's blood-fat levels and thereby lower their risk of developing heart disease."

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"With multiple meals throughout the day, you have to be careful. If you start consuming several meals, there's more potential to overeat or to make unhealthy snack choices with easily accessible junk food," said Jill Kanaley, professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology and study co-author. "Some people are good at making efforts to eat healthy snacks; however, most people aren't, and they end up taking in too many calories. The more times you sit down to eat, the more calories you're probably going to take in."

Obese women would benefit from consuming three balanced meals a day, Heden and Kanaley agree.

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