CHRONODIET: a randomised clinical trial to evaluate the effects of a chronotype-adapted diet on weight loss in overweight/obese subjects

Obesity and its associated health complications have become a global public health concern, necessitating innovative approaches to weight management. One emerging area of research focuses on the influence of chronotype, an individual's preferred timing for daily activities, on eating habits, weight regulation and metabolic health. Recent observational studies suggest that the misalignment between an individual's chronotype and external cues, such as meal timing, may contribute to metabolic dysregulation and obesity, but evidence from intervention studies is still limited. Thus, the aim of this study was to conduct a randomized controlled trial designed to explore the effects of a 4-month period of chronotype-adapted diet, compared with a conventional calorie distribution diet, on weight loss, cardiometabolic health, and gut microbiota composition.