Is Fasting Actually Effective for Weight Loss?
Some research has hinted that eating within certain windows, aka intermittent fasting or IF, might align better with our circadian rhythms and may improve blood sugar and cholesterol and boost longevity. For this reason, IF has been having a moment over the last decade.
Celebrities from Jennifer Aniston to Jimmy Kimmel have given it a shot, and dozens of diet books have been released explaining how to follow one of the plans, be it the 5:2 method, 16/8, eat-stop-eat or the warrior method. (To the uninitiated, these are all different forms of IF that have varying rules about when and how much you eat.)
Last summer, in our report “Should you try intermittent fasting for weight loss?” we raised a red flag about several very real potential drawbacks of the trendy diet, including its impact on fertility and risk for binge-eating tendencies and other disordered eating patterns. Not to mention, for most of us it’s just downright difficult to stick with for the long haul. What about those birthday dinners that involve reservations at 8 p.m. after we have a business lunch at noon? (It’s important to note that there’s been no definitive research that fasting actually leads to more weight loss, if that’s the goal.)
Excerpted from Eating Well
