Background: Worldwide, obesity has nearly tripled since 1975 and has become a major healthcare challenge today. Intermittent fasting (IF) is gaining popularity as a weight loss strategy in recent times. This study aimed to study the role of IF as a modern-day weight-loss strategy in obese adults through a real-world pilot experiment conducted at a nutrition clinic in Mumbai.
Methodology: To understand the effects of IF on weight loss, 32 overweight/obese [body mass index (BMI) ≥23 kg/m2] adults from a nutrition clinic in Mumbai, were assigned consecutively to an IF plan and followed up for 3 months. Their demographic, anthropometric, and dietary assessments were done pre- and post-intervention. Qualitative interviews were done at the end of the study to record the participants' overall well-being, experience, and sustainability of IF.
Results: 56% of study participants were males and their mean age was 35.6 ± 8.9 years. 65.6% of participants were able to maintain 14-16 hours of fasting and 53% managed all 7 days of IF. Analysis of post-intervention data showed a significant reduction in mean body weight (88.5 ± 19 to 83.8 ± 17.6 kg), waist circumference (M: 108.2 ± 11.3 to 103.6 ± 4.4 cm, F: 98.9 ± 8.8 to 93.3 ± 3.3 cm), BMI (31.4 ± 5.3 to 29.6 ± 5.1 kg/m2), daily calories (1782 ± 237 to 1388 ± 243 kcal/day), carbohydrate intake (267 ± 18.4 to 164 ± 4.0 g/day), and an increase in protein intake (39 ± 11 to 55 ± 11 g/day). Participants reported positive experiences of practicing IF such as improved fitness, sleep cycle, and adoption of healthy eating habits.
Conclusion: The study demonstrates that IF could aid in weight loss and adoption of a healthier lifestyle.
© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.