The research team looked at the results of 22 previous studies involving almost 2,000 adults to find out whether short-term intermittent fasting (over a period of up to 12 months) was better at helping adults lose weight than standard dietary advice or no advice at all.
Intermittent fasting is a fairly new way to lose weight and has gained popularity in recent years. Different types include:
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Eat only during a set period of time each day
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fasting on certain days of the week
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alternating between days of eating normally and days of eating very little
Compared with giving people traditional advice on diet, such as reducing calorie intake and eating more healthily, the review found that intermittent fasting made little or no difference to people’s weight loss or quality of life.
This made little or no difference compared to those who were given no advice or who waited for advice on weight loss, although the effect on quality of life was not clear.
Although the researchers say they are “moderately confident” in these findings, they are less confident about the results comparing the standard diet and intermittent fasting.
Most of the studies they looked at did not use the most robust methods and involved small numbers of people, making it difficult to detect real effects.
Lead review author Luis Garegnani, of the Universidad Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, said he was concerned by the online publicity surrounding the fast.
“Intermittent fasting may be a reasonable option for some people, but the current evidence does not justify the enthusiasm we see on social media,” he said.
But researchers also agree that everyone is different and some people may benefit. “Doctors will need to take a case-by-case approach when advising an overweight adult to lose weight,” said senior review author Eva Madrid.
Review, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, externalsays more research is needed to look at the effect of intermittent fasting on other aspects of people’s health, such as their type 2 diabetes status and other underlying health conditions, and how satisfied it made them feel.
It also notes that there are many different types of intermittent fasting and more details are needed about how they may affect different men and women, as well as men and women with different BMIs and from different countries.
The studies in this review took place in Europe, North America, China, Australia and South America.
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