Intermittent fasting may be no better than 'doing nothing,' major review finds

One of the most popular weight-loss trends of the past decade might not deliver better results than traditional dieting, a major new review found.

The results were barely more effective than "doing nothing," according to the researchers.

"Intermittent fasting just doesn't seem to work for overweight or obese adults trying to lose weight," lead researcher Luis Garegnani, Ph.D., director of the Universidad Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires Cochrane Associate Center, said in a statement. 

"It may be a reasonable option for some people, but the current evidence doesn't justify the enthusiasm we see on social media."

But as obesity rates climb worldwide - more than 2.5 billion adults were overweight in 2022, including 890 million with obesity, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) - weight-loss strategies are under intense scrutiny.

The review, however, had several limitations that made it difficult to assess long-term sustainability or apply the findings broadly, according to the researchers. 

"With the current evidence available, it's hard to make a general recommendation," Dr. Eva Madrid, director of the Cochrane Evidence Synthesis Unit Iberoamérica, said in a statement. 

"Doctors will need to take a case-by-case approach when advising an overweight adult on losing weight," add Madrid, a professor at the Universidad de Valparaiso School of Medicine.

Experts who were not part of the review told Fox News Digital the findings align with some recent data about intermittent fasting.

"All diets are just tools," Goddard added. "You need to find the tool that best fits you for the long run - and if intermittent fasting is the tool that works best for you, then great. If not, there are lots of other tools at our disposal."

Sustainability is the key to long-term weight loss, she noted.

Malia Frey, a certified health coach and personal trainer in Minneapolis, also noted that, while intermittent fasting is simple and inexpensive, it doesn't address nutritional quality or underlying issues related to weight gain such as physiological issues or stress. 

"If someone really wants to try intermittent fasting, I would suggest that they try it for a few weeks, but then gradually transition to a more sustainable plan that promotes healthy eating," Frey said. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for comment.