Intermittent Fasting (IF) has become a popular trend that advocates an eating pattern that has regular periods of restricted calorie intake. For some people this is skipping breakfast and for others it may consist of a fast for 16 hours or more [1].
As we know, weight loss requires an individual to be in a calorie deficit and this can either be done via a calorie controlled diet or increases in daily and structured physical activity. IF promotes calorie restriction and thus is promoted as an optimal 'diet' for those trying to lose weight. This begs the question, is IF a superior method for weight loss and weight loss maintenance?
A recent study has reviewed the research surrounding IF in a bid to understand its effectiveness on weight loss, weight loss maintenance and other outcomes [2]. It compared IF with what they referred to as 'continuous energy restriction', which is essentially a calorie deficit. They looked at 42 studies that included participants with a BMI of 25 or above. The results from this study found that IF does result in weight loss in the short term. However, it is no more effective for long-term weight loss than 'continuous energy restriction'.
Therefore, although IF is effective for weight loss it is not more effective than being in a calorie deficit. And, again we have to remind ourselves that IF is based on a restriction of calories and thus will most likely aid most people to lose weight, but it is not a superior method to weight loss.
References
[1] WELTON, S et al., 2020. Intermittent Fasting and Weight Loss. The Official Journal of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, 66(2), 117-125
[2] WEI, X et al., 2022. Intermittent Energy Restriction for Weight Loss: A Systematic Review of Cardiometabolic, Inflammatory and Appetite Outcomes. Biological Research for Nursing, 24(3), 410-428
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