By: Andrew Tao

Many people try to lose weight by counting the number of calories they eat and limiting it, but this also makes many people scared of eating the foods that they want to eat. Recently, there was a study by the Annals of Internal Medicine showing that only eating in a certain time frame was just as effective as limiting the number of calories you consume.

In a year-long study, those participants who only ate food from noon to 8 p.m. achieved the same amount of weight loss as someone trying to cut their daily calories by 25 percent. There were two groups in this study, group one only ate food from noon to 8pm and group 2 cut their daily calories by 25 percent. There was also a control group where people kept their eating habits the same.

The study found that groups one and two both lost about 4 percent of their body weight a year, while the control group gained 1 percent of their body weight.

This is the first study in the U.S. to compare both weight loss methods. Even though both groups had the same results, group one’s diet is easier to adhere to. People in group one can eat whatever they want in that certain amount of time, while people in group two must stay away from sweets and other high-calorie foods.

Nearly 42 percent of Americans over the age of twenty are obese, and 32 percent are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People who are obese are more likely to develop serious health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer. People who are obese also pay on average $2,500 more a year for healthcare.

Interest in dieting has been growing exponentially in the last few years. Forty nine percent 49 percent of Americans try to lose weight each year, according to the CDC. That is 56 percent of women and 42 percent of men.

Most people do not have to skip eating ice cream after dinner to lose weight. All people must do is not eat anything before noon and after 8pm. Work smarter, not harder.