eLife Assessment
This study investigates a dietary intervention that employs a smartphone app to promote meal regularity, which may be useful. Despite no self-reported changes in caloric intake, the authors report significant weight loss for the relatively short duration of only 6 weeks. While the concept is very interesting and deserves to be studied due to its potential clinical relevance, the study's rigor needs to be improved upon and is currently considered incomplete, notably the reliance on self-reported food intake, a highly unreliable way to assess food intake. Additionally, the study theorizes that the intervention resets the circadian clock, but the study needs more reliable methods for assessing circadian rhythms, such as actigraphy. Further, if this restrictive dietary intervention has any more promise in achieving long-term weight loss than the myriad other restrictive diets, it remains to be tested.