Individuals attempting to shed excess weight may find greater success by sticking to the same meals rather than diversifying their diet, according to new research.
The study, published in Health Psychology, examined participants living with overweight or obesity over 12 weeks and discovered a notable difference in outcomes between those who embraced repetition and those who varied their food choices.
Those who consumed similar foods repeatedly while maintaining steady calorie intake lost 5.9 per cent of their body weight, compared with just 4.3 per cent among participants who opted for more dietary variety.
The research team analysed real-time food diaries from 112 adults enrolled in a structured behavioural weight-loss programme.
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Creating routines around eating may make healthy choices feel more automatic
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Participants, with an average age of 53 and a mean BMI of 34.5, recorded their daily consumption using a mobile application and monitored their weight with wireless scales.
The vast majority of those involved were women, comprising 85 per cent of the study group.
Investigators assessed how routinised each individual's eating habits were by examining two key factors: the consistency of daily calorie consumption and the degree to which participants returned to the same foods.
The 12-week timeframe was selected as previous research indicated this period was sufficient for meaningful weight reduction.
Charlotte Hagerman, the study's lead author from the Oregon Research Institute, explained the rationale behind the investigation.
"Conventional wisdom around dieting says you should incorporate a lot of different foods to avoid getting bored and that you should splurge on the weekends or special occasions so you don't feel as deprived," she told Medscape Medical News.
"This contradicts research showing that consistency makes your behaviour more habitual, that is, more automatic or effortless."
Dr Hagerman noted that sustaining a nutritious diet in contemporary food environments demands considerable willpower and effort.
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"Creating routines around eating may reduce that burden and make healthy choices feel more automatic," she said.
Nevertheless, medical experts have cautioned against interpreting these findings too narrowly.
Dr Amanda Velazquez, director of obesity medicine at Cedars-Sinai's Center for Weight Management and Metabolic Health in Los Angeles, emphasised that eating a range of foods remains beneficial.
The ideal diet combines diverse foods and colours with relatively stable calorie consumption
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"Dietary variety still has important benefits, including supporting overall diet quality and likely promoting a healthier microbiome," she told Medscape Medical News.
The ideal approach, Dr Velazquez suggested, would combine diverse foods and colours with relatively stable calorie consumption and regular meal timing.
She added that this strategy may suit certain patients better than others, recommending "individualised, precision nutrition care" as the ultimate goal.
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