A new study published in The BMJ has found that intermittent fasting may be as effective as traditional calorie-counting diets in weight loss. The findings come at a time when obesity is a growing global concern.
What Did the Study Look At?
Researchers reviewed data from 99 clinical trials involving more than 6,500 adults, most of whom had existing health problems and an average BMI of 31, which falls in the obese range. The trials lasted from 3 to 52 weeks and tested various methods of fasting.
Here are the three main types of intermittent fasting studied:
- Time-restricted eating (like the popular 16:8 method, where you eat only during 8 hours of the day)
- Alternate-day fasting (fasting every other day)
- Whole-day fasting (like the 5:2 diet, where you fast 2 days a week)
What Did They Find?
The study found that all types of intermittent fasting, along with regular calorie-restricted diets, led to some weight loss when compared to eating without any calorie control.
Among the fasting methods, alternate-day fasting showed a slight edge, with people losing about:
- 1.29 kg more than those on regular calorie-counting diets
- 1.69 kg more than those doing time-restricted eating
- 1.05 kg more than those on whole-day fasting plans
However, these differences were small and did not reach the 2 kg mark, which researchers consider the minimum for noticeable health improvements in people with obesity.
Short-Term Results Stronger
The benefits of intermittent fasting were primarily observed in short-term studies, which lasted less than 24 weeks. In longer studies, results were only clearly better when compared to people who weren’t following any structured diet at all.
What Does This Mean?
According to the researchers, intermittent fasting is not a magic solution, but it can be a useful and flexible option for those looking to manage their weight. It may work just as well as traditional dieting methods, especially for individuals who struggle to maintain calorie counting.
They also stressed the need for longer-term research to understand better how fasting affects health over time, especially for people dealing with obesity and heart-related risks.
