Fasting Shows No Weight-Loss Benefit Over Standard Meals in Randomized Trial

[Arthur]

Fasting Shows No Weight-Loss Benefit Over Standard Meals in Randomized Trial
By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

Fasting for two thirds of the day does not lead to greater weight loss than eating meals throughout the day, according to a randomized trial in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Roughly 100 overweight or obese adults were assigned to time-restricted eating or consistent meal timing. In the time-restricted group, participants were advised to eat as needed from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m., and then fast for 16 hours until 12 p.m. the next day. In the consistent-meals group, participants were told to eat three structured meals across the day, with snacks as needed. There were no recommendations about caloric intake or physical activity.

At 12 weeks, mean weight loss did not differ significantly between the groups (0.94 kg with time-restricted eating and 0.68 kg with consistent meals). Most secondary outcomes, including changes in fat mass, lipids, and fasting glucose, also did not differ significantly between the groups. Of note, the time-restricted group lost more appendicular lean mass than the consistent-meals group.

The researchers conclude that the findings “do not support the efficacy of [time-restricted eating] for weight loss.”
LINK(S):
JAMA Internal Medicine article (Free abstract)

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2771095

[Greg Mihalik]

“There were no recommendations about caloric intake or physical activity.”

Yep. Don’t reduce calories or increase activity and there will be no change. Brilliant!

Use IF as a technique to support calorie reduction while increasing activity and many people will see sustained weight loss.

I am one of them.

[Arthur]

Greg.  your routine obviously works.  Any plan that reduces caloric intake and increases activity will work.  This study does not address your technique.  It addresses the advertised “go eat whatever you want for 6 hours, sit on the couch, and loose weight, and be healthy” proponents.

[Jacob]

It addresses the advertised “go eat whatever you want for 6 hours, sit on the couch, and loose weight, and be healthy” proponents

This study shows that humans can consume the same amount of calories and nutrients in a restricted time window as they can unrestricted throughout the day.

To be clear, there was no diet plan, no exercise plan, and the average weight change after 12 weeks for both groups was under 1kg (and they all had a lot to lose); Nothing happened during the study.

This is evidence that fasting is just as healthy as eating regularly…

Combine this evidence with evidence on autophagy, immune system function, etc and there is a real case to believe fasting will improve people’s health, generally speaking.

 

[Keith Johnson]

Thanks. Good to know.

[Daniel Oxnard]

This appears to be a deeply flawed study.

No control, a grossly confounding variable, and small population size.

consistent meal timing (CMT) group eats “3 structured meals per day”

vs

time-restricted eating (TRE) group was instructed to eat “ad libitum”

ad libitum definition = feeding management through which the animals (humans in this case) are offered as much food as they want

What is being “assessed” is CMT vs TRE, but by introducing “3 structured meals per day” vs “ad libitum” you introduce a huge confounding variable!

[Kattt]

The trial was set up flawed  to begin with; restricted eating should be done with skipping meals at night, NOT in the morning. But, as others have said, that alone without the right caloric intake to consumption ratio will not cause weight loss. When you need studies because common sense is a rare commodity.  Next.

[Bruce Tolley]

“…restricted eating should be done with skipping meals at night..”

Is that not why we call breakfast break fast??

Cheers

[Pedestrian]

So much baloney…..the quoted study itself and “break fast”.

Do what works for you….

Conducting “studies” on human dietary patterns is a fool’s game.

Can you lock up hundreds of people for a couple of  dozen years and control everything they eat and when they eat? Not gonna happen.

No one’s eating patterns are stable enough over time (decades) to draw any useful conclusion about “reported” eating patterns.

I can understand why people conduct these “studies” – mainly: publish or perish.

I fail to understand why any layperson would pay any attention to this garbage.

 

 

 

[John L]

I need to get out this year the COVID-19 20 pounds is real for me…

[Michael B]

I can understand why people conduct these “studies” – mainly: publish or perish.

Drive sales of diet programs.

[Author]

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