Are You A Snacker? Read This!

If you like snacking on high-fat and high-sugar foods researchers have found that this kind of snacking is independently associated with abdominal fat and a fatty liver. The study - published in Hepatology - found that a hypercaloric diet with frequent meals increases intrahepatic triglyceride content and fat around the waist but increasing meal size did not. 

The study involved 36 lean men randomized to a hypercaloric diet or a eucaloric balanced diet - for six weeks. The men were measured for intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG) and abdominal fat using magnetic resonance imaging and insulin sensitivity before and after the diet.

The men on the hypercaloric diet ate three main meals along with additional calories from high-fat and high-sugar drinks with or in between their meals to increase meal size or meal frequency.

The Results 

High-calorie diets increased Body Mass Index (BMI)

Eating more frequent meals significantly increased IHTG while larger-sized meals did not

Belly fat increased in the high-fat/high-sugar frequency group and in the high-sugar frequency group

A decrease in liver insulin sensitivity was found in the high-fat/high-sugar frequency group

American children consume up to 27% of calories from high-fat and high-sugar snacks, says lead author Dr. Mireille Serlie with the Academic Medical Centre Amsterdam in The Netherlands. Our study examines if high-meal frequency with snacking compared to large meal consumption contributes to increased intrahepatic and abdominal fat. Our study provides the first evidence that eating more often - rather than consuming large meals - contributes to fatty liver independent of body weight gain. These findings suggest that by cutting down on snacking and encouraging three balanced meals each day over the long term may reduce the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. 

Obesity Statistics

Studies link obesity to the accumulation of abdominal fat and fat in the liver, which makes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease one of the most prevalent diseases of the liver. The World Health Organization reports that more than 200 million men and close to 300 million women were obese in 2008. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 36% of adult Americans and 17% of children are obese.

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Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.