The Study
A meta‐analysis comparing the effectiveness of alternate day fasting, the 5:2 diet, and time‐restricted eating for weight loss
This study looked at lots of different experiments where people tried different ways of eating to lose weight. It found that these diets all worked about the same, but it can't say for sure that one diet is better than another because the experiments weren't all done the same way.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
This study looked at different ways people try to lose weight by eating less sometimes—like skipping meals every other day or only eating during certain hours.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 567 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1No, the results don't show one method is clearly better than another—so choosing one over another should be based on what’s easier to stick with, not expected weight loss.
- 2People lost about the same amount of weight (around 0.26 kg more or less) whether they did intermittent fasting or ate fewer calories every day.
- 3Alternate day fasting had the highest chance (57%) of being the best, but the difference wasn't strong enough to be sure.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
Year
2022
Authors
Paloma Elortegui Pascual, Maryann R. Rolands, A. Eldridge, A. Kassis, Fabio Mainardi, K. Lê, L. Karagounis, P. Gut, K. Varady
Related Content
Claims (5)
Among three popular intermittent fasting methods, alternate day fasting was ranked most likely to lead to weight loss based on a statistical analysis of 24 trials, followed by calorie restriction and then time-restricted eating, though no two methods were directly compared with statistically significant results.
In clinical studies, people stick to intermittent fasting better for the first three months than they do after that, and adherence drops noticeably over longer periods.
In overweight and obese adults, alternate day fasting, the 5:2 diet, and time-restricted eating lead to the same amount of weight loss as traditional calorie restriction over 2 to 26 weeks.
Among adults, intermittent fasting methods such as alternate-day fasting, 5:2 fasting, and time-restricted eating result in the same amount of weight loss, with no meaningful difference between them.
Alternate day fasting and daily calorie restriction result in the same amount of weight loss on average, with no meaningful difference between the two approaches.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.