on PinterestA new review of evidence found that intermittent fasting is no better than other dietary patterns for weight loss.
on PinterestA new review of evidence found that intermittent fasting is no better than other dietary patterns for weight loss. yunxi xie/Getty Images
- Researchers report that intermittent fasting is no more effective for weight loss than other dietary routines.
- Experts say intermittent fasting can help people lose weight, but the effects are usually short-lived.
- They add that a healthy diet is essential, regardless of the dietary plan a person has adopted.
Intermittent fasting is widely touted as an effective weight loss strategy, but new research suggests these benefits may be exaggerated.
A new review of evidence found that intermittent fasting is not superior to other dietary patterns for weight loss.
The researchers said that intermittent fasting is unlikely to lead to greater weight loss in people who are diagnosed with overweight or obesity when compared to traditional dietary advice or not adopting any dietary plan at all.
The findings were published on February 15 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
“Intermittent fasting just doesn’t seem to work for overweight or obese adults trying to lose weight,” said lead author Luis Garegnani, PhD, director of the Universidad Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires Cochrane Associate Centre in Argentina, in a news release.
Experts not involved in the study agreed with the researchers’ conclusions.
“The rules [for intermittent fasting] are easy, and if it works for patients, I encourage them to try it. However, intermittent fasting is usually not the ‘game-changer’ people are looking for,” Sun Kim, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Stanford University, told Healthline.
Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and the medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, said he was surprised by the study findings, but noted that intermittent fasting only works when a person adheres to a healthy lifestyle.
“In my experience, time-restricted eating can be beneficial, particularly when combined with a healthy diet,” Ali told Healthline. “The quantity and quality of calories consumed are critical. If a person continues to consume the wrong foods, they will likely see limited results.”
Intermittent fasting benefits often short-lived
To reach their conclusions, the researchers analyzed data from 22 randomized clinical trials involving nearly 2,000 adults from North America, Europe, China, Australia, and South America.
Their review compared intermittent fasting with traditional dietary advice as well as no intervention.
The data involved various forms of intermittent fasting, including alternate-day fasting, periodic fasting, and time-restricted feeding.
Most of the studies followed participants for up to 12 months.
The researchers reported that intermittent fasting resulted in “little to no difference” in baseline weight loss when compared to regular dietary advice. They added that there was also “little to no difference” in comparable quality of life.
They reported similar results when intermittent fasting was compared to people who weren’t following any official dietary advice.
The researchers cautioned against what they described as the online hype surrounding intermittent fasting.
“Intermittent fasting may be a reasonable option for some people, but the current evidence doesn’t justify the enthusiasm we see on social media,” Garegnani said in a statement.
Experts said that intermittent fasting
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