The Study
Intermittent Fasting versus Continuous Calorie Restriction: Which Is Better for Weight Loss?
This study is like a big report that looks at many smaller experiments where people were randomly given two different diets. Because it combines those experiments, it can tell us pretty confidently that one diet (intermittent fasting) makes people lose a bit more weight than the other (continuous restriction).
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
Scientists compared two ways to lose weight: eating less every day or fasting some days and eating normally others. They looked at many studies to see which works better.
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 539 / 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.
- 1The weight difference is small and may not matter much in real life.
- 2Both diets work about the same for most health measures.
- 3People who fasted sometimes lost a little more weight (SMD = -0.21) than those who ate less every day.
- 4But both groups had similar drops in BMI, belly fat, and cholesterol.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2022
Authors
Qing Zhang, Cai-shun Zhang, Hai-dan Wang, Zheng-ye Ma, De-feng Liu, Xiaohan Guan, Yixin Liu, Yanqing Fu, Mingxuan Cui, Jing Dong
Related Content
Claims (5)
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.
People who try intermittent fasting tend to lose a little more weight than those who just cut calories continuously, according to several studies.
For adults who are overweight or obese, cutting calories all the time works about the same as fasting on and off when it comes to losing weight — both help lower BMI just as much in the short to medium term.
If you're trying to lose weight and are overweight or obese, cutting calories just two days a week doesn’t work much better than cutting them every day — the difference is pretty small.
For people who are overweight or obese, cutting calories all the time works about the same as intermittent fasting when it comes to cholesterol, triglycerides, and belly fat — neither one has a clear edge.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.