Which diet works better: fasting sometimes or eating less all the time?
Evaluation of the effectiveness of intermittent fasting versus caloric restriction in weight loss and improving cardiometabolic health: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Intermittent fasting showed no clear advantage in weight loss despite its popularity.
Fasting has a huge online following and is often marketed as superior for fat loss and metabolic health, yet this meta-analysis shows it performs almost identically to traditional dieting.
Practical Takeaways
Choose the diet you can stick to — both fasting and calorie cutting work about the same.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Intermittent fasting showed no clear advantage in weight loss despite its popularity.
Fasting has a huge online following and is often marketed as superior for fat loss and metabolic health, yet this meta-analysis shows it performs almost identically to traditional dieting.
Practical Takeaways
Choose the diet you can stick to — both fasting and calorie cutting work about the same.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences
Year
2025
Authors
Samah Alfahl
Related Content
Claims (6)
If you eat the same number of calories and protein, fasting every now and then works just as well for losing weight as eating less every day.
If you're trying to improve your cholesterol and have extra weight, going on an intermittent fasting diet works about as well as cutting calories every day — both help in similar ways.
Intermittent fasting might help lower blood sugar a little more than regular calorie cutting in people with extra weight, but the difference is so small it probably doesn’t matter in real life.
Intermittent fasting might help people with extra weight lose a little more body mass than cutting calories regularly, but the difference is small and we’re not sure if it really matters for health.
Intermittent fasting might help people lose a little more weight than cutting calories the usual way, but the difference is so small it could just be due to chance — overall, both methods work about the same for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.