Do Fasting Diets Work? Study Finds Little Benefit

More and more people are turning to “intermittent fasting” to lose weight, but the jury is still out on whether the tactic works.

In a new clinical trial, researchers found that one type of intermittent fasting did help overweight and obese adults drop a couple of pounds over 12 weeks. But they fared no better than a comparison group who ate whenever they wanted.

The findings conflict with some recent studies suggesting the diets are effective. And researchers said this is not the final word on intermittent fasting.

For one, many people find the tactic easy to follow, according to Krista Varady, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

And that’s a plus, she said, since lasting weight loss requires sustainable lifestyle changes.

Varady, who was not involved in the new study, does her own research into intermittent fasting — specifically, the version known as time-restricted eating. It gives people a limited time window for eating each day.

In a recent study, Varady’s team found that the diet helped people lose about 3% of their starting weight over eight weeks. In contrast, people who stuck with their usual eating routine saw no change.

The principle behind time-restricted eating is simple: People don’t have to change what they eat, but simply limit themselves to dining between certain hours.

“There’s a natural calorie restriction that happens just by watching the clock,” Varady said. “People seem to like it because it’s simple. There’s no calorie-counting, and you don’t have to buy any special foods.”

But liking something does not mean it’s effective. And despite the popularity of fasting-type diets, only recently have studies begun to test them.

The new trial, published online Sept. 28 in JAMA Internal Medicine, is the latest.

For the study, the researchers randomly assigned 116 overweight or obese adults to either follow a time-restricted diet for 12 weeks, or stick with their usual eating habits. The time-restricted group was told to eat only between noon and 8 p.m.

Read the full story on WebMD.com

Also Read: Simple Steps Toward a Healthier Lifestyle