Intermittent fasting is rapidly gaining popularity as an easy way to lose weight, based on the idea that you can improve your metabolism by restricting your diet without the need for strict calorie counting. However, a major international review found that this approach may not lead to greater weight loss than traditional dieting methods.

Researchers analyzed 22 randomized controlled trials involving 1,995 participants and found that intermittent fasting produced only a small difference in weight loss compared to calorie restriction. The results of this study were published in the Cochrane Review.

The review, led by researchers from the Rutgers School of Public Health in the US and the University of Düsseldorf School of Medicine in Germany, looked at a variety of fasting approaches, including time-restricted eating, alternate-day fasting, and a plan of eating normally for five days followed by two days of restricted eating.

Across the study, which spanned six to 12 months, people who practiced intermittent fasting lost an average of 0.33 percent more weight than people who followed other diets. Researchers say this difference is too small to be considered clinically meaningful. Cholesterol levels showed no substantial difference between groups.

Intermittent fasting resulted in an average weight loss of 3.42 percent when compared to people who did not follow any diet. Levels of high-density lipoprotein, often referred to as “good cholesterol,” rose slightly among participants who used the fasting strategy, but other measures of metabolic health showed little change.

The researchers cautioned that because most of the trials evaluated results that lasted up to 12 months, it was difficult to draw conclusions about long-term weight management or whether weight would be regained over time.

Still, the findings suggest that intermittent fasting is not a magic solution for weight loss.

The researchers said that intermittent fasting does not appear to offer any significant benefits over traditional diets when it comes to weight loss, adding that individuals should choose an eating pattern that fits their habits and can be maintained over time.

This article from Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.