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   In CNN Health an article "Meal Times May Affect Weight Loss Success" written by Jacque Wilson, states that by eating later on in the day you have a harder time in losing weight. This makes losing weight difficult for most because we eat our biggest meal at lunch time past 3 p.m.

   People who try and lose weight are more concerned about what they eat but new studies say that its about WHEN you eat it. Marta Garaulet and Dr. Frank Scheer, director of the medical chronobiology program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, followed 420 people in Spain during a 20-week weight loss treatment program they split the group in two to test their theory. The early eaters, on average, lost 25% more weight than the late eaters over the course of the study, according to Scheer. In this expository read Garaulet and Scheer explain to us this new weight loss study.

   These doctors checked on other reasons for the slow loss of weight such as; energy expenditure, dietary composition, appetite hormones and sleep duration. All these things were similar in both groups so they decided it was the time of meal that triggered the sluggish weight loss. The doctors theory was correct and so now they share with the world to inform us all that its not only about what you consume but what time you eat a meal.

   Did you know your fat tissue has a built-in clock? The majority of your cells run on a 24 hour schedule. This is called circadian system, it’s controlled by a group of cells in your brain’s hypothalamus. But the “clocks” in individual organs’ cells can be altered by daily activity that doesn’t affect the control center. Researchers have found that feeding animals at odd times during the day can set off the clocks and cause weight gain.

The doctors say that new weight loss strategies should incorporate the timing of food as well as the classic look at calorie intake and distribution of carbohydrates, fats and protein. They say that night workers have a higher risk of obesity than day workers. Even with the same amount of energy they use.

I can relate to the late eaters. I don't get off work until late sometimes and I'm hungry so I'll eat. This discovery could be the reason why people have so much trouble losing weight. If only we could eat whatever whenever we wanted to!