High Calorie Breakfast Versus Dinner on Weight Loss, Ghrelin and Appetite in Obese Women (BDvsDD)

The investigators hypothesis is that comparing a Breakfast Diet (BD) which consist in high calorie breakfast and reduced dinner, vs Dinner Diet (DD) which consist in high calorie dinner with reduced breakfast; the BD would enhance weight loss, ghrelin suppression and appetite scores in obese women.

Recently we have shown that compared to low carbohydrate diet, an isocaloric diet with addition of high calorie breakfast that also included dessert, promoted sustained weight loss and prevented weight regain by reducing diet-induced compensatory changes in hunger, cravings and ghrelin suppression. However direct effects of meal timing (morning vs. evening increased calories) were not tested.

To search whether a change in meal timing by increasing calories in the morning vs in the evening has a differential impact on weight loss, ghrelin suppression, lipids and appetite scores. Our hypothesis is that comparing the Breakfast Diet (BD) which consist in high calorie breakfast and reduced dinner, vs Dinner Diet (DD) which consist in high calorie dinner with reduced breakfast; the BD would enhance weight loss, ghrelin suppression and appetite scores.

• Active Comparator: Arm 1 Breakfast Diet
  The arm 1 will be assigned to eat High calorie breakfast (700kcal) and reduced dinner (200 kcal)
  Intervention: Other: Arm 1 Breakfast Diet
• Active Comparator: Arm 2: Dinner Diet
  In the Dinner diet will consume reduced breakfast (200 cal) and high calorie dinner (700 cal)
  Intervention: Other: Arm 1 Breakfast Diet

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Subjects ≥18 and ≤75 years of age
2. Overweight or obese (BMI: 25 to 35 kg/m2)
3. Interested and willing to lose weight during the study and provides signed informed consent
4. Not dieting and no change in body weight >10 lb = 4.5 kg within the last 6 months
5. Stable physical activity pattern during the three months immediately preceding study initiation
6. Normal liver and kidney function
7. Fasting blood glucose <110 mg/dl.
8. No metabolic disease
9. Usually wakes up between 05:00 and 07:00 and goes to sleep between 22:00 and 24:00.
10. Normal TSH and FT4 levels
11. Acceptable health based on interview, medical history, physical examination, and laboratory tests

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Diabetes mellitus or impaired fasting glucose defined by medical history or fasting glucose > 110 mg/dl
2. Clinically significant pulmonary, cardiac, renal, hepatic, neurologic, psychiatric, infectious, malignant disease
3. Serum creatinine level > 1.5 mg/dl
4. Abnormal liver function tests defined as an increase by a factor of at least 2 above the upper normal limit of alanine aminotransferase and/or aspartate
5. Any physiologic or mechanical problems preventing dietary adherence
6. Pregnant or lactating
7. Participating in another dietary program or use of weight-loss medications
8. Documented or suspected history (within one year) of illicit drug abuse or alcoholism.
9. Use of psychotropic or anoretic medication during the month immediately prior to study onset
10. Night or rotating shift work

11. Jet lag during the 2 week period immediately prior to study onset

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