To Save Whales, Don’t Eat Lobster, Watchdog Group Says - The New York Times

The group says that the shellfish, long considered a more responsible choice, cannot be considered a guilt-free meal anymore.

American lobster may be a beloved and delicious splurge, but it is no longer a sustainable seafood choice and consumers should avoid eating it, according to Seafood Watch, a group that monitors how fish and other seafood are harvested from the world’s oceans.

The organization made the announcement last week, motivated by concerns that the ropes used to fish for lobsters and some other seafoods often entangle critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. The marine mammal’s population has fallen to the low hundreds, and federal wildlife authorities say it faces extinction in the near future.

Seafood Watch is part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California and provides scientific guidance to businesses, including formal partnerships with some of the country’s major seafood buyers, about what seafood they sell to customers. The organization also provides seafood recommendations directly to consumers. Its credit card-size seafood purchasing guides can be found sitting next to packets of oyster crackers or stacks of wet wipes at seafood markets and in restaurants across the country.

Seafood Watch put American lobster, as well as some species of crab and fish, on its red list because of the effect fishing for the species has on North Atlantic right whales.

The organization hopes that telling people to avoid American lobster, which is harvested off Maine, Canada’s maritime provinces and in other parts of the Northwest Atlantic, will raise awareness about the right whale’s condition and put pressure on fishery managers and lawmakers to do more to protect the imperiled mammals.

“I think consumers need to understand the impacts of the fishing practices used to catch the food that they consume,” said Mark Baumgartner, a senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts who studies North Atlantic right whales but is not involved with Seafood Watch. “I think that if people knew more about the plight of right whales, and the role that roped fishing plays in that, there’d be more of a demand for solutions.”

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Lobster fishers and their allies in Congress say that Seafood Watch’s decision is unfair given the industry’s consistent compliance with state and federal laws aimed at protecting the whales. It is unclear whether Seafood Watch’s actions will have the intended effect because major sellers and distributors of American lobster may be hesitant to halt sales of the beloved seafood.

While there are several types of lobster, such as the clawless spiny lobster and the blue European lobster, American lobsters are the most popular among consumers. Men and women have been catching the big-clawed crustaceans along the east coast of the United States and Canada mostly the same way since the 1800s.

A vast majority of commercial lobster fishermen still use pots, also known as traps, to catch their quarry. Pots are loaded with bait and lowered to the seafloor, where they are left to soak. To make the pots easy to recover, they are connected to a buoy floating at the surface by a vertical line of rope.

Whales can easily become entangled in these ropes, which can prevent them from reaching the surface to breathe or from diving deep enough to find food. Entangled whales that don’t drown or starve right away may drag gear for years, causing deep lacerations and sapping energy that would be used for reproduction and growth.

“It is a heartbreaking sight to see as they often are under significant stress, frantically thrashing and desperately trying to shake the gear off of their bodies,” said Amy Knowlton, a senior scientist at the New England Aquarium who has been studying right whales for almost 40 years.

Conservation groups say that the ropes used to fish for lobsters often entangle critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. But lobstermen say they comply with state and federal rules for fishing.

Scientists estimate that fewer than 350 individual North Atlantic right whales still live, fewer than 100 of which are breeding females. “Entanglements are now the leading cause of serious injury and mortality for this critically endangered species,” Ms. Knowlton said.

Scientists with the National Marine Fisheries Service determined that in order for the North Atlantic right whale population to avoid extinction, the average number of whales killed by human-related activity needs to be less than one whale per year.

In 2021, the fisheries service announced new rules for catching American lobster in U.S. waters that aimed to reduce the number of vertical lines in the North Atlantic right whale habitat and weaken the lines that are used so entangled whales can more easily break free. The agency also implemented two new seasonal fishing ground closures.

Seafood Watch and other marine conservation organizations said the new regulations were a step in the right direction but didn’t go far enough to help the whales recover.

“On average, 7.7 whales per year are dying due to human causes that we know about,” said Sam Wilding, who is the Seafood Watch fisheries program manager and has been involved in creating the new assessments. “5.7 of those are due to fishing entanglement and the other two are due to vessel strikes.”

Mr. Wilding acknowledged that state and federal fishery managers and industry leaders have been working to address the issue for more than two decades. But the efforts have not been enough to save the whales. “The rate of impact from fishing is far higher than we originally anticipated,” he said.

Drastic measures need to be taken for the North Atlantic right whale to avoid extinction, Mr. Wilding said. Yet, workers in the fishing industry believe that Seafood Watch went too far by encouraging consumers to avoid American lobster.

“The way we manage our fishery has always been one of the best,” said Kristan Porter, a commercial lobster fisherman and president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. “As a fisherman, all I can do is go by the rules that are in front of me.”

Georgia Department of Natural Resources, via Associated Press

“There’s not a fisherman in Maine that wants to hurt a whale,” said Steve Train, a commercial fisherman based in Maine who has been lobstering for over 40 years.

Because a vast majority of American lobster fishers play by the rules set out for them by fishery managers and federal agencies, Mr. Porter says he and his fellow fishers should not be punished for the decline of North Atlantic right whales.

One proposed solution to this problem is a transition to ropeless fishing gear, which is used in Australia and is being tested in American fisheries. It works like a traditional crab or lobster pot, but it can be brought to the surface using a remote-controlled float, no rope required.

“This could very easily allow fishermen to fish right around right whales in a way that is not endangering their lives,” said Caroline Good, a large whale ecologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

However, such gear is not yet widely available, and each ropeless trap can cost $2,000 to $4,000, while a traditional lobster trap costs between $50 and $180. Earlier this year, Democrats in Congress introduced a bill that would put millions of dollars toward the development and testing of ropeless gear and other technologies that have the potential to protect North Atlantic right whales. It has yet to go to a vote.

Until American lobster fisheries can reduce their impact on right whales, Seafood Watch is recommending lobster lovers select exclusively from spiny lobsters caught in Florida or California.

However, whether its advice will be heeded remains uncertain. A spokesperson for Whole Foods Market, which partnered with Seafood Watch in 2010, said that it has no plans to stop selling American lobster, but that the company is “closely monitoring the situation” and is “committed to working with our suppliers, local fisherman and fisheries, fishery managers and environmental advocacy groups as the situation develops.”

Experts concerned about the whales hope industry and political leaders will look beyond their immediate criticism of Seafood Watch’s decision and see an opportunity.

Dr. Baumgartner at Woods Hole says that the fishing industry and United States and Canadian governments need to develop solutions that preserve fishing opportunities and protect the whales — quickly.

“It seems like a no-brainer to me to pour all the resources you can into this,” he said.

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To Save Whales, Don’t Eat Lobster, Watchdog Group Says - The New York Times
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To Save Whales, Don’t Eat Lobster, Watchdog Group Says - The New York Times

The group says that the shellfish, long considered a more responsible choice, cannot be considered a guilt-free meal anymore.

American lobster may be a beloved and delicious splurge, but it is no longer a sustainable seafood choice and consumers should avoid eating it, according to Seafood Watch, a group that monitors how fish and other seafood are harvested from the world’s oceans.

The organization made the announcement last week, motivated by concerns that the ropes used to fish for lobsters and some other seafoods often entangle critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. The marine mammal’s population has fallen to the low hundreds, and federal wildlife authorities say it faces extinction in the near future.

Seafood Watch is part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California and provides scientific guidance to businesses, including formal partnerships with some of the country’s major seafood buyers, about what seafood they sell to customers. The organization also provides seafood recommendations directly to consumers. Its credit card-size seafood purchasing guides can be found sitting next to packets of oyster crackers or stacks of wet wipes at seafood markets and in restaurants across the country.

Seafood Watch put American lobster, as well as some species of crab and fish, on its red list because of the effect fishing for the species has on North Atlantic right whales.

The organization hopes that telling people to avoid American lobster, which is harvested off Maine, Canada’s maritime provinces and in other parts of the Northwest Atlantic, will raise awareness about the right whale’s condition and put pressure on fishery managers and lawmakers to do more to protect the imperiled mammals.

“I think consumers need to understand the impacts of the fishing practices used to catch the food that they consume,” said Mark Baumgartner, a senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts who studies North Atlantic right whales but is not involved with Seafood Watch. “I think that if people knew more about the plight of right whales, and the role that roped fishing plays in that, there’d be more of a demand for solutions.”

Lobster fishers and their allies in Congress say that Seafood Watch’s decision is unfair given the industry’s consistent compliance with state and federal laws aimed at protecting the whales. It is unclear whether Seafood Watch’s actions will have the intended effect because major sellers and distributors of American lobster may be hesitant to halt sales of the beloved seafood.

While there are several types of lobster, such as the clawless spiny lobster and the blue European lobster, American lobsters are the most popular among consumers. Men and women have been catching the big-clawed crustaceans along the east coast of the United States and Canada mostly the same way since the 1800s.

A vast majority of commercial lobster fishermen still use pots, also known as traps, to catch their quarry. Pots are loaded with bait and lowered to the seafloor, where they are left to soak. To make the pots easy to recover, they are connected to a buoy floating at the surface by a vertical line of rope.

Whales can easily become entangled in these ropes, which can prevent them from reaching the surface to breathe or from diving deep enough to find food. Entangled whales that don’t drown or starve right away may drag gear for years, causing deep lacerations and sapping energy that would be used for reproduction and growth.

“It is a heartbreaking sight to see as they often are under significant stress, frantically thrashing and desperately trying to shake the gear off of their bodies,” said Amy Knowlton, a senior scientist at the New England Aquarium who has been studying right whales for almost 40 years.

Conservation groups say that the ropes used to fish for lobsters often entangle critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. But lobstermen say they comply with state and federal rules for fishing.

Scientists estimate that fewer than 350 individual North Atlantic right whales still live, fewer than 100 of which are breeding females. “Entanglements are now the leading cause of serious injury and mortality for this critically endangered species,” Ms. Knowlton said.

Scientists with the National Marine Fisheries Service determined that in order for the North Atlantic right whale population to avoid extinction, the average number of whales killed by human-related activity needs to be less than one whale per year.

In 2021, the fisheries service announced new rules for catching American lobster in U.S. waters that aimed to reduce the number of vertical lines in the North Atlantic right whale habitat and weaken the lines that are used so entangled whales can more easily break free. The agency also implemented two new seasonal fishing ground closures.

Seafood Watch and other marine conservation organizations said the new regulations were a step in the right direction but didn’t go far enough to help the whales recover.

“On average, 7.7 whales per year are dying due to human causes that we know about,” said Sam Wilding, who is the Seafood Watch fisheries program manager and has been involved in creating the new assessments. “5.7 of those are due to fishing entanglement and the other two are due to vessel strikes.”

Mr. Wilding acknowledged that state and federal fishery managers and industry leaders have been working to address the issue for more than two decades. But the efforts have not been enough to save the whales. “The rate of impact from fishing is far higher than we originally anticipated,” he said.

Drastic measures need to be taken for the North Atlantic right whale to avoid extinction, Mr. Wilding said. Yet, workers in the fishing industry believe that Seafood Watch went too far by encouraging consumers to avoid American lobster.

“The way we manage our fishery has always been one of the best,” said Kristan Porter, a commercial lobster fisherman and president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. “As a fisherman, all I can do is go by the rules that are in front of me.”

Georgia Department of Natural Resources, via Associated Press

“There’s not a fisherman in Maine that wants to hurt a whale,” said Steve Train, a commercial fisherman based in Maine who has been lobstering for over 40 years.

Because a vast majority of American lobster fishers play by the rules set out for them by fishery managers and federal agencies, Mr. Porter says he and his fellow fishers should not be punished for the decline of North Atlantic right whales.

One proposed solution to this problem is a transition to ropeless fishing gear, which is used in Australia and is being tested in American fisheries. It works like a traditional crab or lobster pot, but it can be brought to the surface using a remote-controlled float, no rope required.

“This could very easily allow fishermen to fish right around right whales in a way that is not endangering their lives,” said Caroline Good, a large whale ecologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

However, such gear is not yet widely available, and each ropeless trap can cost $2,000 to $4,000, while a traditional lobster trap costs between $50 and $180. Earlier this year, Democrats in Congress introduced a bill that would put millions of dollars toward the development and testing of ropeless gear and other technologies that have the potential to protect North Atlantic right whales. It has yet to go to a vote

Until American lobster fisheries can reduce their impact on right whales, Seafood Watch is recommending lobster lovers select exclusively from spiny lobsters caught in Florida or California.

However, whether its advice will be heeded remains uncertain. A spokesperson for Whole Foods Market, which partnered with Seafood Watch in 2010, said that it has no plans to stop selling American lobster, but that the company is “closely monitoring the situation” and is “committed to working with our suppliers, local fisherman and fisheries, fishery managers and environmental advocacy groups as the situation develops.”

Experts concerned about the whales hope industry and political leaders will look beyond their immediate criticism of Seafood Watch’s decision and see an opportunity.

Dr. Baumgartner at Woods Hole says that the fishing industry and United States and Canadian governments need to develop solutions that preserve fishing opportunities and protect the whales — quickly.

“It seems like a no-brainer to me to pour all the resources you can into this,” he said.

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To Save Whales, Don’t Eat Lobster, Watchdog Group Says - The New York Times
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Eating insects can be good for the planet – Europeans should eat more of them - Positive.News

Packed with protein and boasting a relatively tiny carbon footprint, edible insects are now a billion dollar market

Insects are a nutritious food source that can be produced more sustainably than conventional livestock. While eating them is common in many world regions, in western cultures it is more likely met with disgust.

The consumption of insects has slowly increased as the benefits become widely discussed. More than 2,000 edible species have been identified. But would incorporating insects into our diets really reduce the environmental footprint of food production, and can this be achieved?

Insects are high in fat, protein and nutrients. This varies between species and lifecycle stage, however the protein content of insects is frequently 40-60 per cent. Insects also provide all of the essential amino acids required for human nutrition.

Adult crickets are 65 per cent protein by weight, which is higher than both beef (23 per cent) and tofu (8 per cent). Insects are also high in minerals such as copper, iron and magnesium. It’s not surprising that they are consumed by humans in many world regions today.

Insects are also far more efficient at converting their feed into energy than conventional livestock. Adult crickets and mealworm larvae need 5–10 times less feed than cattle to produce the same weight gain. Insects are also cold-blooded, so do not use their metabolism to heat or cool themselves, further reducing energy and food use.

A larger proportion of the animal can also be eaten compared with conventional livestock. Only 45 per cent of a cow and 55 per cent of a chicken is consumed on average. For insects, the whole larva and 80 per cent of an adult cricket can be eaten. Insects also reproduce more rapidly than vertebrates, with many generations possible in a year.

To provide the same nutritional value, insect cultivation  uses a fraction of the land, energy and water used for conventional livestock farming.

To produce a kilogram of protein, mealworm larvae emit 14kg of CO₂eq, far less than the 500kg of CO₂eq emitted on average in beef production, and require 70 times less agricultural land than beef.

Crickets are commonly served as a snack in many markets across the world. Image: Jeremy Bezanger

Plant-based foods should not be ignored

All food production has environmental costs. However, there is substantial variation within this. Beef, for example, produces 100 times more greenhouse gas emissions than pea production.

Insect cultivation typically falls between these extremes. While it can be less environmentally damaging than the production of meat, it has a higher footprint than most plant-based foods. Per kilogram of protein, pea production emits only 4kg of CO₂eq, while tofu requires roughly half the agricultural land needed for insect cultivation.

Whether insects are a climate-friendly (or friendlier) food will depend on what their protein replaces. If insect-based foods are used to substitute conventional meat, this could provide important gains. However, large gains could also be achieved if plant-based alternatives are adopted.

Dietary changes can radically alter the environmental footprint of consumers. The average diet in the US uses more than 10 times more land per person than the average Indian diet, primarily due to the types of food consumed.

A plant-based diet has a generally smaller carbon footprint than meat and dairy. Image: Megan Thomas

Using insects in a circular food system

1.3 billion tonnes of food produced for human consumption is wasted each year. Another area in which insects could prove valuable is in the production of food or animal feed from food byproducts or food waste. Black soldier flies reared on byproducts such as almond hulls can be converted into feed for livestock or farmed seafood.

However, feeding insects organic byproducts requires careful management to avoid risks of chemical and microbial contamination. Several insect species are able to digest certain contaminants, but there is potential for harmful bioaccumulation. Manure and catering waste are therefore prohibited as a feed for farmed insects in Europe.

The acceptability of foods can change over time. Brits, for example, regarded tomatoes as poisonous for over 200 years. Image: Edgar Castrejon

Will Europeans eat more insects?

The market for edible insects in Europe and America is growing. Despite only 10.3 per cent of Europeans stating they would be willing to replace meat with insects, the edible insect market is projected to reach US$4.63bn (£3.36bn) by 2027.

The acceptability of foods can change over time. Tomatoes were regarded as poisonous in Britain and dismissed for over 200 years. Lobsters, now an expensive delicacy, were formerly so abundant in the US that they were served to workers and prisoners and were commonly used as fertiliser and fish bait.

Lobster only became fashionable to eat after the mid-18th century. Since then its popularity has surged, with the global lobster market expected to reach US$11.1bn (£9.7bn) by 2027.
Insect consumption in Europe may also become normalised. Western consumers are showing an increasing willingness to consume processed insect based foods. Incorporating insects into familiar food items such as flour is one way of improving their palatability.

Edible insects are not the sole solution to achieve a more sustainable food system. However, they do provide a nutritious and more sustainable substitute to conventional meat. Their production, flexibility and diversity means they are likely to play an increasing part in a more circular food system.

Peter Alexander is Senior lecturer in Global Food Security at the University of Edinburgh

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Main image: stockphototrends / iStock

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Eating insects can be good for the planet – Europeans should eat more of them - Positive.News
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To Save Whales, Don’t Eat Lobster, Watchdog Group Says - The New York Times

The group says that the shellfish, long considered a more responsible choice, cannot be considered a guilt-free meal anymore.

American lobster may be a beloved and delicious splurge, but it is no longer a sustainable seafood choice and consumers should avoid eating it, according to Seafood Watch, a group that monitors how fish and other seafood are harvested from the world’s oceans.

The organization made the announcement last week, motivated by concerns that the ropes used to fish for lobsters and some other seafoods often entangle critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. The marine mammal’s population has fallen to the low hundreds, and federal wildlife authorities say it faces extinction in the near future.

Seafood Watch is part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California and provides scientific guidance to businesses, including formal partnerships with some of the country’s major seafood buyers, about what seafood they sell to customers. The organization also provides seafood recommendations directly to consumers. Its credit card-size seafood purchasing guides can be found sitting next to packets of oyster crackers or stacks of wet wipes at seafood markets and in restaurants across the country.

Seafood Watch put American lobster, as well as some species of crab and fish, on its red list because of the effect fishing for the species has on North Atlantic right whales.

The organization hopes that telling people to avoid American lobster, which is harvested off Maine, Canada’s maritime provinces and in other parts of the Northwest Atlantic, will raise awareness about the right whale’s condition and put pressure on fishery managers and lawmakers to do more to protect the imperiled mammals.

“I think consumers need to understand the impacts of the fishing practices used to catch the food that they consume,” said Mark Baumgartner, a senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts who studies North Atlantic right whales but is not involved with Seafood Watch. “I think that if people knew more about the plight of right whales, and the role that roped fishing plays in that, there’d be more of a demand for solutions.”

Lobster fishers and their allies in Congress say that Seafood Watch’s decision is unfair given the industry’s consistent compliance with state and federal laws aimed at protecting the whales. It is unclear whether Seafood Watch’s actions will have the intended effect because major sellers and distributors of American lobster may be hesitant to halt sales of the beloved seafood.

While there are several types of lobster, such as the clawless spiny lobster and the blue European lobster, American lobsters are the most popular among consumers. Men and women have been catching the big-clawed crustaceans along the east coast of the United States and Canada mostly the same way since the 1800s.

A vast majority of commercial lobster fishermen still use pots, also known as traps, to catch their quarry. Pots are loaded with bait and lowered to the seafloor, where they are left to soak. To make the pots easy to recover, they are connected to a buoy floating at the surface by a vertical line of rope.

Whales can easily become entangled in these ropes, which can prevent them from reaching the surface to breathe or from diving deep enough to find food. Entangled whales that don’t drown or starve right away may drag gear for years, causing deep lacerations and sapping energy that would be used for reproduction and growth.

“It is a heartbreaking sight to see as they often are under significant stress, frantically thrashing and desperately trying to shake the gear off of their bodies,” said Amy Knowlton, a senior scientist at the New England Aquarium who has been studying right whales for almost 40 years.

Conservation groups say that the ropes used to fish for lobsters often entangle critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. But lobstermen say they comply with state and federal rules for fishing.

Scientists estimate that fewer than 350 individual North Atlantic right whales still live, fewer than 100 of which are breeding females. “Entanglements are now the leading cause of serious injury and mortality for this critically endangered species,” Ms. Knowlton said.

Scientists with the National Marine Fisheries Service determined that in order for the North Atlantic right whale population to avoid extinction, the average number of whales killed by human-related activity needs to be less than one whale per year.

In 2021, the fisheries service announced new rules for catching American lobster in U.S. waters that aimed to reduce the number of vertical lines in the North Atlantic right whale habitat and weaken the lines that are used so entangled whales can more easily break free. The agency also implemented two new seasonal fishing ground closures.

Seafood Watch and other marine conservation organizations said the new regulations were a step in the right direction but didn’t go far enough to help the whales recover.

“On average, 7.7 whales per year are dying due to human causes that we know about,” said Sam Wilding, who is the Seafood Watch fisheries program manager and has been involved in creating the new assessments. “5.7 of those are due to fishing entanglement and the other two are due to vessel strikes.”

Mr. Wilding acknowledged that state and federal fishery managers and industry leaders have been working to address the issue for more than two decades. But the efforts have not been enough to save the whales. “The rate of impact from fishing is far higher than we originally anticipated,” he said.

Drastic measures need to be taken for the North Atlantic right whale to avoid extinction, Mr. Wilding said. Yet, workers in the fishing industry believe that Seafood Watch went too far by encouraging consumers to avoid American lobster.

“The way we manage our fishery has always been one of the best,” said Kristan Porter, a commercial lobster fisherman and president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. “As a fisherman, all I can do is go by the rules that are in front of me.”

Georgia Department of Natural Resources, via Associated Press

“There’s not a fisherman in Maine that wants to hurt a whale,” said Steve Train, a commercial fisherman based in Maine who has been lobstering for over 40 years.

Because a vast majority of American lobster fishers play by the rules set out for them by fishery managers and federal agencies, Mr. Porter says he and his fellow fishers should not be punished for the decline of North Atlantic right whales.

One proposed solution to this problem is a transition to ropeless fishing gear, which is used in Australia and is being tested in American fisheries. It works like a traditional crab or lobster pot, but it can be brought to the surface using a remote-controlled float, no rope required.

“This could very easily allow fishermen to fish right around right whales in a way that is not endangering their lives,” said Caroline Good, a large whale ecologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

However, such gear is not yet widely available, and each ropeless trap can cost $2,000 to $4,000, while a traditional lobster trap costs between $50 and $180. Earlier this year, Democrats in Congress introduced a bill that would put millions of dollars toward the development and testing of ropeless gear and other technologies that have the potential to protect North Atlantic right whales. It has yet to go to a vote

Until American lobster fisheries can reduce their impact on right whales, Seafood Watch is recommending lobster lovers select exclusively from spiny lobsters caught in Florida or California.

However, whether its advice will be heeded remains uncertain. A spokesperson for Whole Foods Market, which partnered with Seafood Watch in 2010, said that it has no plans to stop selling American lobster, but that the company is “closely monitoring the situation” and is “committed to working with our suppliers, local fisherman and fisheries, fishery managers and environmental advocacy groups as the situation develops.”

Experts concerned about the whales hope industry and political leaders will look beyond their immediate criticism of Seafood Watch’s decision and see an opportunity.

Dr. Baumgartner at Woods Hole says that the fishing industry and United States and Canadian governments need to develop solutions that preserve fishing opportunities and protect the whales — quickly.

“It seems like a no-brainer to me to pour all the resources you can into this,” he said.

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To Save Whales, Don’t Eat Lobster, Watchdog Group Says - The New York Times
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Is there a right time for eating? - News-Medical.Net

In a recent study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers assessed how calorie or energy intake (EI) time influences calorie distribution and all energy expenditure (EE) components, which, in turn, impact energy balance and weight loss in healthy obese people.

Report: Timing of daily calorie loading affects appetite and hunger responses without changes in energy metabolism in healthy subjects with obesity. Image Credit: aiko_koni / Shutterstock

Background

Related Stories

Current dietary regimens for humans work on the assumption that a "calorie is a calorie" regardless of the time of consumption.

Although several recent studies have linked energy regulation to the circadian clock at the behavioral, physiological, and molecular levels, the potential mechanisms involved in varying calorie utilization across the day remain unknown. Also, how daily energy distribution influences appetite hormones throughout the day is unclear. For example, postprandial ghrelin (or hunger hormone) is suppressed more in response to a breakfast meal than the same meal provided in the evening. Thus, studies elucidating the EI time and calorie distribution could inform the development of successful weight-loss programs.

Several studies in rodents using an intermittent fasting window of three to 10 hours have reported that time-restricted feeding (TRF) reduces body weight and increases EE more than consuming food all day. Yet, human studies deploying objective measures to examine the role of timing and calorie distribution on weight loss are sparse.

Energy metabolism is the energy that an individual spends at a given time. It has three components:

1. basal metabolic rate (BMR), the minimum calories the body utilizes in a resting state for standard body functions;
2. thermic effect of food (TEF) is the energy needed to absorb, process, and store nutrients after consuming food; and
3. energy used in physical activity.

The last component involves skeletal muscles and requires more energy. By measuring all EE components, it is possible to identify energy metabolism changes leading to weight loss.

About the study

In the present study, researchers performed a four-week randomized isocaloric and eucaloric controlled feeding trial, comparing morning-loaded (ML) versus evening-loaded (EL) calorie intake.

They measured all EE components, including resting metabolic rate (RMR), TEF, and total EE using the doubly labeled water technique (DLW). While the team measured physical activity using actigraphy, they used the indirect calorimetry method for the RMR and TEF assessments. The researchers distinguished the distinct area of metabolic function that contributed to differences in energy balance reported in prior studies.

The researchers screened 37 healthy but obese individuals with body mass index (BMI) between 27 and 42 kg/m²  through social media advertising. Only 30 completed the trial, of which 16 were male, and 14 were female. The team randomized 14 participants to the ML diet first and 16 to the EL diet first. 

The study protocol mandated similar total calorie intake between the ML and EL diets. Likewise, both diets provided the same macronutrient intake, with ML and EL protein:carbohydrate: fat compositions of 29.7%:34.2%:34.7% and 29.8%:34.0%:34.8%, respectively. The team asked the participants to report any foods they consumed outside the prescribed diet and weighed all leftovers. The eating window was slightly longer across the day in the ML than in the EL diet (11:05 h vs. 10:39 h), with meals consumed relatively early in the day. Notably, calorie intake across the day was nearly inverse to the overall energy distribution of the ML vs. EL diet.

The researchers hypothesized that the calorie distribution of ML EI would result in more weight loss linked to behavioral or circadian influence on energy metabolism. Since the study participants had iso-caloric diets, the largest meal of the day at breakfast with a smaller evening meal, an altered EE likely drove energy metabolism, measured by body weight, the primary endpoint of the current study.

Further, the team monitored each participant's appetite and glycemic control (via continuous glucose monitoring [(CGM) and plasma profile] and body composition. Furthermore, the team determined weight loss (denoted by D) from the first to the last day of the 4-week study.

Study findings

The current study had several significant findings about the time of daily calorie intake. Although ML and EL diets did not affect energy metabolism and resulted in similar weight loss in healthy obese individuals, ML calorie loading resulted in lower appetite and hunger, which explains the weight loss benefits of ML diets. Weight loss showed an almost similar downward trend, with no difference in weight loss at the end of the four weeks between the ML and EL diets with similar macronutrient compositions. The compositional weight changes were also similar regardless of calorie distribution.

The ML diet also resulted in markedly lower average daily hunger, desire for food, prospective consumption, thirst, and composite appetite score. The observed more significant appetite suppression with the ML diet was partially due to the extended duration of gastric emptying of the larger meal size and calorie load.

The study also demonstrated no differences in fasting peptide YY (PYY), ghrelin, gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) between the ML and EL diets. A key finding of the study was that the ML diet did not alter EE as the isocaloric EL diet, with ML vs. EL of 2,871 and 2,846 kilocalories per day. Expectedly, RMR was significantly lower after both the ML and EL weight-loss diets than baseline, corresponding with lower body weight. Most importantly, there were no differences in RMR between the ML or EL diets. Also, the authors noted no differences in physical activity measured across the three days at the end of each diet.

In addition, TEF was significantly more after the ML than the EL breakfast (147 kcal vs. 98 kcal). The CGM results showed a significant effect of weight loss on all metrics, with significantly lower mean daily glucose and daily glucose variability. Plasma measures showed reduced glucose and lowered fasting insulin following both ML and EL diets. Also, ML and EL diets resulted in significant yet nearly similar reductions in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoproteins.

Conclusions

To summarize, the current study comprehensively assessed EI and EE, as well as factors influencing calorie intake and metabolic health. It remarkably disproved earlier studies that inferred time of calorie intake altered energy balance through metabolic adaptation. Instead, it demonstrated that changes in appetite, i.e., more EE relative to EI, enabled more weight loss with ML diets. In other words, hearty breakfast or ML diet more effectively helps one lose weight by suppressing appetite. Future studies should evaluate the physiological relevance of the overall energy balance of the differences in subjective appetite observed in this study.

Journal reference:

• Timing of daily calorie loading affects appetite and hunger responses without changes in energy metabolism in healthy subjects with obesity, Leonie C. Ruddick-Collins, Peter J. Morgan, Claire L. Fyfe, Joao A.N. Filipe, Graham W. Horgan, Klaas R. Westerterp, Jonathan D. Johnston, Alexandra M. Johnstone, Cell Metabolism 2022, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2022.08.001, https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(22)00344-8

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Things to Never Do After Age 55 Say Experts — Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

We all know as we age our bodies change whether we like it or not, but there's certain bad habits that can hurt us even more in our 50s than in our previous younger years. Although we may look and feel younger, our bodies need more care and attention as we age and Eat This, Not That! Health spoke with experts who reveal seven things to stop immediately after 55 and why. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

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Dr. Suzanna Wong, a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic and health expert with Twin Waves Wellness says, "The single most important thing for people over 55 to stop doing is drinking lots of alcohol. Alcohol is metabolized differently to food, and it causes an increase in visceral fat, which appears as tummy fat. Visceral fat leads to some of the more nasty illnesses as you get older – cancer, high cholesterol, stroke, heart disease and diabetes – so this is one that you want to do everything you can to stay in control of as you get older. The good thing is, visceral fat is completely controllable, and changing how much you drink, and improving the way you eat can reduce it, enabling you to live a longer, healthier life."

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states, "According to the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture, adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink or to drink in moderation by limiting intake to 2 drinks or less in a day for men and 1 drink or less in a day for women, when alcohol is consumed. Drinking less is better for health than drinking more."

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Kent Probst, personal trainer, kinesiotherapist and bodybuilder with Long Healthy Life explains, "People over 55 should stop listening to loud music and stop exposure to loud noise.  Your parents were right.  Exposure to loud noises over 85 decibels (dB) is a sure way to lose your hearing.  Hearing loss from exposure to loud noises can be a long term process, or it can happen immediately.  If you can't avoid loud noises, wear earplugs or other ear protection."

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Probst states, "People over 55 should stop saying "yes", and say "no" more.  Saying "no" more allows people more time to take care of themselves by reducing stress levels, such as with meditation. Evidence exists that demonstrates a wide range of benefits for those who meditate regularly.

Meditation may help with the following:

Pain reduction

Hypertension

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Ulcerative Colitis

Smoking Cessation

Depression

Anxiety

Insomnia"

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Probst shares, "One of the secrets of healthy aging that people often don't think about is maintaining meaningful relationships.  Emotional support may be just as integral as diet and exercise in promoting healthy aging.  Meaningful relationships can help stave off depression that can result from spending a significant amount of time alone.  Even having a pet, such as a dog or cat, can be a source of emotional support."

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"Aggressive exercise, such as squats, kettlebell jumping jacks, and excessive high impact exercises" should be avoided after 55 according to Barbara Bergin, M.D Retired Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon. "Take things in moderation as you age. We are eventually victims of our gene pool, injuries of the past and our current exercise habits. There is some information in the literature on this kind of thing, but I mostly draw from 40 years of experience, and the concept of what keeps your orthopedic surgeon busy is probably something you shouldn't be doing. Squats and high impact exercise put a lot of strain on aging knees. Meniscus tears and the progression of osteoarthritis in weight bearing joints are the result. Humans, by natural design, are hunter gatherers. That means we walk long distances at a slow pace, and lift light weights. As we age, exercise routines should incorporate this." 

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Dr. Bergin says, "It doesn't work on 99..9% of people. When I tell my patients this, they sometimes come up with ads or articles featuring some ripped 80-year-old. This is the true definition of fake news. Anyone heard of  photoshopping? Plastic surgery? Your gene pool? These deformities of aging include: batwings, love handles, muffin-tops, decreased height, thick knees, hunch/hump back, and drooping breasts. They are due to natural, and progressive physical phenomena and in most circumstances, cannot be exercised away. Patients (mostly women) often hurt themselves trying to exercise them away. 

Decreased height and hunch/humpback are mostly due to the loss of articular cartilage between all of the joints, especially in the spine. In some cases, it is exacerbated by compression fractures of the spine, which can be prevented by maintaining bone density as we age. But the natural deformity and shortening due to loss of cartilage cannot be prevented. Other deformities are due to loss of muscle tone, but also the natural diminished integrity of collagen which occurs with aging, and cannot be stopped. Loss of muscle tone can be diminished but not stopped. Lifting light weights, and above all, trying to avoid injury while exercising, is helpful. Plastic surgeons can help too."

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Dr. Bergin tells us, "Osteoporosis occurs in everyone if we live long enough. It is painless, unless we sustain a fragility fracture (fractures due to the presence of osteoporosis). Many patients mistakenly think that osteoporosis and osteoarthritis are related, and if they have no pain, then they must not have osteoporosis. Osteoarthritis and osteoporosis are unrelated. There is no relationship between the two, other than both can be present at the same time…usually when we get older. Osteoporosis must be prevented, and once one has it, it should be treated. Exercise is only one part of the treatment of osteoporosis."

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Things to Never Do After Age 55 Say Experts — Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That
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BMH COL: Eating out presents challenges when trying to eat healthy - Maryville Daily Times

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BMH COL: Eating out presents challenges when trying to eat healthy  Maryville Daily Times
BMH COL: Eating out presents challenges when trying to eat healthy - Maryville Daily Times
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