Seeing someone lose 60 pounds in two years makes you want to eat only one meal a day? According to reports, researchers have found that eating six meals a day is more effective for weight loss than three meals a day. Frequent meals while maintaining the same total calorie expenditure help control blood sugar and effectively suppress hunger.
The research team, led by Dr. Emilia, stated, "Our weight maintenance study shows that changing from three meals a day to six meals a day improves blood sugar control and reduces hunger in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. The results suggest that increasing meal frequency may be an effective way for doctors to treat obesity-related diseases and diabetes and prediabetes, and this approach is especially important for those who are unwilling or unable to diet."
Although the participants' weight remained constant throughout the study, their blood sugar levels significantly decreased after adopting the six-meal-a-day treatment, indicating improved blood sugar control. Researchers also noted a decrease in hunger and a less pronounced urge to eat between meals after the six-meal-a-day treatment was implemented.
Douglas Tenifell, deputy director of care at Diabetes UK, said: “There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for people with type 2 diabetes. It is important that treatment is tailored to the individual’s lifestyle and choices. If someone is considering making drastic changes to their meal frequency, they should first consult their diabetes care team, as this could affect their medication regimen.”
Can eating smaller, more frequent meals help with weight loss?
Some studies suggest that eating smaller, more frequent meals is good for health, but these studies are often quite extreme, comparing eating more than 10 snacks a day with eating 3 large meals a day. The 6-meal-a-day diet recommended in weight loss books is easier to follow.
However, don't expect that eating more meals will boost your metabolism when calories and nutrients are constant.
Research has proven this: In a 2009 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, overweight men and women were randomly assigned to a low-calorie diet for eight weeks. One group ate three meals a day, and the other group ate six meals a day, with each group consuming the same amount of food per day.
The two groups lost roughly the same amount of weight. The experiment showed no difference between the two groups in their levels of hormones related to fat loss, appetite control, and hunger, and other studies have yielded similar results.
For boosting metabolism, research shows that exercise is a more reliable method.
Conclusion: There is no evidence that eating six meals a day boosts metabolism more than eating three. However, experts also say that the biggest contribution of eating smaller, more frequent meals to weight loss is not in its impact on metabolism, but in stabilizing blood sugar levels, which reduces the likelihood of overeating.
