INTERMITTENT fasting may offer little to no advantage over conventional calorie-cutting for overweight or obese adults trying to lose weight, according to a comprehensive new review that challenges the widespread hype surrounding the practice, BBC News reported.
The analysis, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, examined 22 previous studies involving nearly 2,000 adults across Europe, North and South America, China and Australia.
Researchers compared short-term fasting regimens — including the popular 5:2 diet and time-restricted eating plans that confine meals to eight-hour windows — with traditional advice to reduce calorie intake, or no dietary guidance at all, over periods of up to 12 months.
The findings were stark: the fashionable approach made little discernible difference to either weight loss or quality of life when measured against standard dietary advice. Luis Garegnani, the lead review author from the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, said intermittent fasting might be a reasonable option for some individuals, but the current evidence does not justify the enthusiasm observed on social media. While the authors expressed moderate confidence in the findings, they noted some underlying studies used less robust methods.
Nevertheless, the review is likely to pour cold water on a trend that has gained enormous traction online.
Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2026
