6.12 A high-fat diet prevents obesity? A Science News article reported that according to a study conducted by researchers at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a high-fat diet could reset the metabolism and prevent obesity. In the study, for 18 weeks, researchers fed a group of mice a high-fat diet on a fixed schedule (eating at the same time and for the same length of time every day). They compared these mice to three control groups: one that ate a low-fat diet on a fixed schedule, one that ate an unscheduled low-fat diet (in the quantity and frequency of its choosing), and one that ate an unscheduled high-fat diet. All four groups of mice gained weight throughout the experiment. However, the mice on the scheduled high-fat diet had a lower final body weight than the mice eating an unscheduled high-fat diet. Surprisingly, the mice on the scheduled high-fat diet also had a lower final body weight than the mice that ate an unscheduled low-fat diet, even though both groups consumed the same amount of calories. In addition, the mice on the scheduled high-fat diet exhibited a unique metabolic state in which the fats they ingested were not stored, but rather utilized for energy at times when no food was available, such as between meals. Briefly discuss the questions that arise in using this experiment to decide the benefits of a scheduled high-fat diet for humans.