Intermittent Fasting Vs Calorie-Restricted Diet: Which Is More Effective For Weight Loss?

Meal frequency and total calorie intake are stronger risk factors for weight loss or gain than meal timing, says a new study.

Maintaining a healthy weight can keep many diseases at bay. Regular exercise and healthy eating are the keys to maintaining a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese, it is advisable to increase your physically activity and improve your eating habit. If you're searching for ways to lose weight, you may find dozens of weight loss diet trends in the internet. Mediterranean Diet, DASH Diet, Flexitarian Diet, Keto diet, intermittent fasting, Whole30 diet and more.

Intermittent fasting (which is also known as time-restrictive eating) is increasingly gaining popularity as an effective weight management strategy. However, a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, suggested that cutting your total calorie intake may be more effective for weight loss than intermittent fasting.

Calorie-restricted diet better than time-restricted eating

The study found the frequency and size of meals to be a stronger contributing factor of weight loss or gain than the time between first and last meal.

During their six-year study, Wendy L. Bennett, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and her team analyzed the health records of about 550 adults (18 years old or older) with a wide range of body weights. They used a mobile application to record sleeping, eating and wake up time for the participants in real time.

Based on the data analysis results, the researchers said they didn't find meal timing associated with weight change during the six-year follow-up period, including the interval from first to last meal.

However, they found total daily number of large meals (estimated at more than 1,000 calories) and medium meals (estimated at 500-1,000 calories) associated with increased weight. Also, they detected fewer small meals (estimated at less than 500 calories) linked to decreasing weight, they said.

The authors concluded that meal frequency and total calorie intake are stronger risk factors for weight change than meal timing. But they could not prove direct cause and effect.

How to avoid obesity-related health complications

Being overweight or obese can increase your risk for many serious diseases and health conditions including high blood pressure (hypertension), Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, Osteoarthritis, many types of cancer, sleep apnea and breathing problems, mental disorders like depression and anxiety. Overweight or obesity is also associated with increased risk for all-causes of death (mortality).

For the unversed, overweight people are those with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher, while obese people have a BMI of 30 or higher.

Weight loss can not only lower your risk of developing these obesity-related diseases but dramatically improve overall health.

To reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the American Heart Association recommends people to limit overall calorie intake, eat healthy foods and increase physical activity.

For effective weight management, the Johns Hopkins researchers suggested eating less overall and fewer large meals.