A new study added to the increasing body of evidence for the benefits of intermittent fasting, showing that it can facilitate weight loss and enhance the regulation of vital body processes in obesity. The researchers behind the study were from different institutions in Spain. The aim of this study was to understand how the schedules of intermittent fasting, such as time-restricted eating (TRE), influence fat loss and health. The study followed 197 participants aged 30 to 60 who were classified as either overweight or obese. During a 12-week period, participants received nutrition guidance while following the Mediterranean diet. The findings support the hypothesis of combining healthy eating with intermittent fasting for improved treatment outcomes for the obese. A study has enhanced previous works in promoting the concept that fasting techniques do help to establish better health status and weight.
Their work, published in the journal Nature Medicine, reveals that eating the last meal before 5 pm and then not eating dinner at night is a safe and effective strategy for reducing subcutaneous abdominal fat, i.e., the fat just under the skin, especially after periods of excess such as Christmas.
As per a news release, in Spain, the prevalence of overweight and obesity reaches 70% in men and 50% in women, which is associated with multiple metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and exponentially increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and certain types of cancer. This alarming weight gain in the population not only impacts people's quality of life but also represents a major challenge for the public health system. Scientific research is working hard to implement effective yet simple strategies to treat this problem, which is now considered a disease.
Calorie restriction diets help weight loss and improve cardiovascular health. However, they are not easy to maintain in the long term and often lead to most people eventually dropping out of treatment and thus regaining lost weight, or even gaining more than their starting weight.
