Eating only from 7am to 3pm is ideal for weight loss

Following a time-limited diet - a type of fasting - promotes weight loss, improves blood pressure and mood

Scientists at the University of Alabama recruited 90 obese volunteers aged 25-75 years. Participants were predominantly female (80%), with an average age of 43 years and a body mass index (BMI) of 39.6, which almost corresponds to the worst level of obesity.

They were all put on a low-calorie diet (the equivalent of 1000-1500 calories a day, depending on a person's resting energy expenditure) and exercise. The difference was that half of the participants had to finish all of their meals within eight hours, from 7 am to 3 pm. Eating before or after this time was prohibited. Others, on the other hand, had no restrictions on meal times.