Why Fasting Works, and Why it Doesn’t Matter

One of the recent diet trends that has gained a following is fasting – an idea that has been around since the dawn of humanity. One reason it seems to be so popular is because it’s pretty easy to follow: you eat less on some days. There isn’t too much to figure out except when to skip meals and how to deal with a grumbling stomach.

But a new study shows that fasting may be a lot of work for not much benefit.

Researchers broke 100 overweight people into three groups: those who just a regular diet, those who ate 75% of their usual caloric intake every day, and those who fasted every other day. After six months, the fasters had lost weight, but there is an important caveat: they lost about as much as those who cut their calories every day, 6% compared to 5.3%.

So. Fasting works to a certain extent. But most importantly, according to this article:

The alternate-day fasting group had the highest dropout rate: 38 percent dropped out of the study, compared with 29 percent for the calorie restriction group and 26 percent for the controls.

We know that a diet that works is most important, and a diet that has almost 40% of people dropping out after six months is a diet that most definitely doesn’t work. So while fasting may shed some pounds, if you’re looking for a more reliable diet – consider eating healthier meals instead of just fewer of them.

– Shane M.