Updated
Updated · Medscape · Jun 23
Trial of 209 Adults Finds 7-kg Weight Loss for Fasting and Calorie Restriction in 6 Months
Updated
Updated · Medscape · Jun 23

Trial of 209 Adults Finds 7-kg Weight Loss for Fasting and Calorie Restriction in 6 Months

1 articles · Updated · Medscape · Jun 23

Summary

  • An exploratory analysis of a 209-person obesity trial found intermittent fasting with time-restricted eating and daily calorie restriction produced similar 6-month weight loss—7.38 kg and 6.99 kg, versus 2.44 kg with standard care.
  • Calorie restriction changed eating behavior more strongly, driving bigger gains in dietary restraint and larger drops in disinhibition and hunger; reduced disinhibition explained 15% of its weight-loss effect versus standard care.
  • Intermittent fasting did not show the same detectable mediation pattern, leading researchers to conclude the two strategies may reach similar weight loss through distinct behavioral pathways.
  • No significant between-group differences emerged for depression, anxiety, sleep quality, or most quality-of-life measures, though the authors said both active interventions delivered clinically relevant weight loss.

Insights

This diet improves self-control, but is it the key to keeping weight off for good?
Can the diet that builds self-control also be the one that dangerously backfires for some people?