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Interventions and public health nutrition

Eating frequency, energy intake and body weight during a successful weight loss trial in overweight and obese postpartum women

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 68, pages 71–76 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:

To examine associations among eating frequency, energy intake and body weight at baseline, as well as associations among change in eating frequency and change in energy intake and weight during a 12-week successful weight loss intervention in overweight and obese postpartum women.

SUBJECTS/METHODS:

Sixty-one Swedish women with pre-pregnancy body mass index of 25–35 kg/m2 completed a 4-day diet record at 10–14 weeks postpartum (baseline) and 12 weeks later (post-intervention), which were used to calculate energy intake and eating frequency, that is, the mean number of intake occasions per day.

RESULTS:

The women had a mean eating frequency of 5.9±1.2 intake occasions at baseline. A positive association was found between eating frequency and energy intake at baseline (β: 307±46 kcal, P<0.001), whereas no significant association between eating frequency and weight was observed (β: 2.3±1.2 kg, P=0.063). During the intervention period, reduced eating frequency was positively associated with energy intake reduction (β: 169±69 kcal, P=0.017) whereas no significant association was found with weight loss (β: 0.9±0.7 kg, P=0.179). Women receiving dietary intervention reduced their eating frequency more during the intervention period than did women not receiving dietary intervention (−1.0±0.7 vs −0.5±1.1, P=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS:

A positive association was found between eating frequency and energy intake at baseline and between reduced eating frequency and reduced energy intake during a 12-week weight loss intervention in overweight and obese postpartum women. Intervention studies on eating frequency are warranted to elucidate its effect on energy intake and weight among postpartum women.

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Acknowledgements

AW, HKB and FB conceived and conducted the research in the LEVA-trial; EH analyzed the data; EH, HKB, AW, FB and HBF interpreted the results and wrote the manuscript. We thank Anna Carin Hagstig, Elisabeth Gramatkovski and the women who participated in the LEVA-trial for their contribution to the development and execution of this research. The study was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council (K2009–70X-21091–01–03) and the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (2006–0339).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    E Huseinovic, A Winkvist, F Bertz, H Bertéus Forslund & H K Brekke

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  1. E Huseinovic
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  2. A Winkvist
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Correspondence to E Huseinovic.

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Huseinovic, E., Winkvist, A., Bertz, F. et al. Eating frequency, energy intake and body weight during a successful weight loss trial in overweight and obese postpartum women. Eur J Clin Nutr 68, 71–76 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.200

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