The Study
Comparison of Different Intermittent Fasting Patterns or Different Extents of Calorie Restriction for Weight Loss and Metabolic Improvement in Adults: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
This study combines results from many diet experiments where people were randomly assigned to different eating plans. It shows that how much you eat matters more than when you eat for losing weight, at least in the short term.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
Scientists looked at many studies to see if skipping meals (intermittent fasting) works better than eating fewer calories every day (continuous restriction). They found that as long as you eat the same amount of calories, both ways lose about the same weight.
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 557 / 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.
- 1Losing 5–12 kg is a big change for most adults and shows both methods can work, but the biggest drops happen with the strongest daily calorie cuts.
- 2- Severe daily calorie cut: ~11.5 kg loss
- 3- Alternate‑day fasting: ~5 kg loss
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrition reviews
Year
2025
Authors
Xianglin Wu, Yi Ding, Q. Cao, Jiaojiao Huang, Xiaoli Xu, Youjin Jiang, Yu Xu, Jieli Lu, Min Xu, Tiange Wang, Zhiyun Zhao, Weiqing Wang, Guang Ning, Yufang Bi, Mian Li
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.
Cutting calories a lot all the time helps people with extra weight lose the most pounds quickly — about 11.5 kilos on average in the short term.
Eating a bit less consistently can lead to noticeable weight loss over a short period for people who are overweight or obese.
It looks like the weight‑loss you get from intermittent fasting starts to slip back after about three months, but steady calorie‑cutting keeps the loss steady, so fasting might not work as well over the long run.
If you're an adult with extra weight or metabolic issues, how much you eat matters way more than when you eat — cutting calories works the same whether you do intermittent fasting or just eat less every day, as long as the total calorie drop is the same.
If you do alternate-day fasting, you’ll likely lose about 5 kilograms in the short term if you’re an adult with overweight or obesity.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.