Timing of eating controls energy use

 DAMIEN LAGARDE AND LAWRENCE KAZAK

DOI: 10.1126/science.ade6720

Abstract

Obesity occurs when energy intake exceeds energy expenditure. Excess calories from food are stored by white adipocytes or dissipated by thermogenic (brown and beige) adipocytes. Molecular clocks control the rhythmic expression of numerous genes to regulate diverse physiological outputs such as energy intake and use during the day. This regulation is bidirectional because nutritional overload dampens circadian oscillations in gene expression and promotes mistimed feeding, which contributes to weight gain (1). Diet-induced obesity is modeled in mice by using energy-dense, high-fat diets. When the time window of high-fat food intake is restricted [time-restricted feeding (TRF)], weight gain is attenuated, but the underlying mechanisms are not resolved. On page 276 of this issue, Hepler et al. (2) reveal that TRF during the active period of the circadian clock (at night) protects mice from diet-induced obesity by enhancing adipocyte thermogenesis.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ade6720