The benefits of regular eating

Researchers from England's University of Nottingham compared a regular (6 meals per day) with an irregular (3–9 meals per day) eating pattern [2]. In the study, 10 obese but otherwise healthy women participated in two free-living dietary phases, each lasting two weeks.

In one phase of the study, subjects were asked to eat six times per day. In the other phase, the women were asked to consume their usual diet in a prescribed, yet chaotic fashion (7, 4, 9, 3, 5, 8, 6, 5, 9, 8, 3, 4, 7, and 6 meals on days 1–14 of the study, respectively). The average number of meals per day was identical in both phases.

The regular eating frequency was associated with a lower reported calorie intake. The researchers also conclude that the irregular eating frequency may have reduced insulin sensitivity because that pattern was linked with a lower, a higher peak insulin concentration, and a larger rise in insulin levels after a meal.

The problem here is that each dietary phase lasted only 14 days and the effects were relatively small (roughly 9% greater peak postprandial insulin concentration and an 8% lower thermic effect of food). There is also the issue of the poor validity of food intake records, particularly those from overweight persons [1]. Plus, we know that exercise improves insulin action [3]. Adding a program of resistance and aerobic exercise to the diet may have eliminated any differences in insulin action between the groups.

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References
1. Livingstone, M.B., & Black, A.E. (2003). Markers of the validity of reported energy intake. Journal of Nutrition,133, 895S-920S
2. Farshchi, H.R., Taylor, M.A., & Macdonald, I.A. (2005). Beneficial metabolic effects of regular meal frequency on dietary thermogenesis, insulin sensitivity, and fasting lipid profiles in healthy obese women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 81, 16-24
3. Evans, E.M., Racette, S.B., Peterson, L.R., Villareal, D.T., Greiwe, J.S., & Holloszy, J.O. (2005). Aerobic power and insulin action improve in response to endurance exercise training in healthy 77-87 yr olds. Journal of Applied Physiology, 98, 40-45