Weight Loss Greater With Intermittent Fasting Than Calorie Restriction
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, March 31, 2025 -- An intermittent fasting (IMF) intervention yields modestly greater weight loss than daily caloric restriction (DCR) among adults with overweight or obesity, according to a study published online April 1 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Victoria A. Catenacci, M.D., from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, and colleagues compared the effects of 4:3 IMF versus DCR on changes in weight at 12 months with comprehensive behavioral support in a randomized clinical trial involving adults aged 18 to 60 years with a body mass index of 27 to 46 kg/m2. The IMF group was instructed to restrict energy intake by 80 percent on three nonconsecutive days per week, with no restriction on the other four days (4:3 IMF). The DCR group was instructed to match the weekly energy deficit by reducing daily energy intake by 34 percent. Both groups also received a high-intensity comprehensive behavioral weight loss program.
The study included 165 participants: 84 4:3 IMF and 81 DCR; 125 individuals completed the trial. The researchers found that at 12 months, 4:3 IMF showed greater reductions in weight than DCR in an intention-to-treat analysis (mean difference, 2.89 kg).
"4:3 IMF should be considered within the range of evidence-based dietary weight loss approaches," the authors write.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted March 2025
Read this next
Many Medicaid Enrollees Have Restricted Access to SGLT2 Inhibitors, GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 -- Many Medicaid enrollees with type 2 diabetes have restricted access to cardioprotective medications, including sodium-glucose cotransporter-2...
Declining Childhood Vaccination May Increase Risk for Vaccine-Preventable Infections
WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 -- Declining childhood vaccination rates may increase outbreaks of eliminated vaccine-preventable infections within the United States, leading to a...
AACR: Incidence-Based Mortality Dropping for Young Women With Breast Cancer
TUESDAY, April 29, 2025 -- Incidence-based mortality (IBM) declined from 2010 to 2020 among women aged 20 to 49 years diagnosed with breast cancer, according to a study presented...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.