Abstract
Body weight is regulated by energy intake which occurs several times a day in humans. In this meta-analysis, we evaluated whether eating frequency (EF) is associated with obesity risk and energy intake in adults without any dietary restriction. Experimental and observational studies published before July 2015 were selected through English-language literature searches in several databases. These studies reported the association between EF and obesity risk (odd ratios, ORs) in adults who were not in dietary restriction. R software was used to perform statistical analyses. Ten cross-sectional studies, consisting of 65,742 participants, were included in this analysis. ORs were considered as effect size for the analysis about the effect of EF on obesity risk. Results showed that the increase of EF was associated with 0.83 time lower odds of obesity (i.e., OR = 0.83, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.70–0.99, p = 0.040). Analysis about the effect of EF on differences in participants’ energy intake revealed that increased EF was associated with higher energy intake (β = 125.36, 95% CI 21.76–228.97, p = 0.017). We conclude that increased EF may lead to lower obesity risk but higher energy intake. Clinical trials are warranted to confirm these results and to assess the clinical practice applicability.
Highlights
Prevalence of overweight and obesity, which are established risk factors for non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain cancers, has dramatically increased around the world since 1980
The present study aims to evaluate whether eating frequency (EF) is associated with obesity risk and energy intake (EI) in adults without caloric restriction by conducting a meta-analysis of published original observational studies
No new eligible relationship between EF and obesity risk were identified according to the criteria
Summary
Prevalence of overweight and obesity, which are established risk factors for non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain cancers, has dramatically increased around the world since 1980. In 2014, 39% and 13% of adults (above 20 years old) were overweight and obese worldwide, respectively [1]. Evidence shows that obesity can be prevented by changing potential causes such as dietary behavior and physical activity [2]. Weight gain indicates that the balance has tipped towards increased EI or reduced. In humans, when EI exceeds EE by 11 kcal per day, a one pound weight gain will occur over the course of a year [4]. EE can drop when there is an increase of sedentary behavior and elevated use of vehicles, which are associated with a decrease of physical activity.
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