Time-Restricted Feeding(TRF) on Overweight/Obese Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Intermittent fasting regimens involve periods fasting followed by periods of eating freely. Time-Restricted Feeding (TRF) is a new form of intermittent fasting and involves shortening the eating window to 4-10 h/day. TRF is a safe lifestyle intervention for weight loss in adults with obesity. Accumulating evidence suggests that TRF is an effective means of decreasing body weight and improving insulin resistance but did not have any negative impact on eating disorder symptoms, body image perception, or eating behaviors. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine condition in productive-aged women. About 60-70 % of women with PCOS are obese or overweight, and obesity is associated with insulin resistance. Since many women with PCOS seem to have insulin resistance, compensatory hyperinsulinemia is thought to contribute to hyperandrogenism by direct stimulation of ovarian production of androgens and by inhibition of liver synthesis of SHGB. It is important to ameliorate insulin resistance in PCOS patients.The aims of the present study is to examine whether TRF is a safe and effective regimen to improve insulin resistance and decrease body weight in overweight/obese PCOS patients.