Fasting Could Improve Obese Women's Health
SYDNEY (Dispatches)--Research shows that obese women lost more weight and improved their health by fasting intermittently while following a strictly controlled diet.
Research carried out at the University of Adelaide involved a sample of 88 women following carefully controlled diets over 10 weeks.
"Continuously restricting their diet is the main way that obese women try to tackle their weight," says Dr Amy Hutchison, lead author from the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).
"Unfortunately, studies have shown that long-term adherence to a restricted diet is very challenging for people to follow, so this study looked at the impact of intermittent fasting on weight loss.
"Obese women who followed a diet in which they ate 70% of their required energy intake and fasted intermittently lost the most weight.
"Other women in the study who either fasted intermittently without reducing their food intake, who reduced their food intake but did not fast, or did not restrict their diet at all, were not as successful in losing weight," says Dr Hutchison.
The study also checked the effect of the different diets on the women's health. Women who fasted intermittently as well as restricting their food improved their health more than those who only restricted their diet or only fasted intermittently.
Research carried out at the University of Adelaide involved a sample of 88 women following carefully controlled diets over 10 weeks.
"Continuously restricting their diet is the main way that obese women try to tackle their weight," says Dr Amy Hutchison, lead author from the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).
"Unfortunately, studies have shown that long-term adherence to a restricted diet is very challenging for people to follow, so this study looked at the impact of intermittent fasting on weight loss.
"Obese women who followed a diet in which they ate 70% of their required energy intake and fasted intermittently lost the most weight.
"Other women in the study who either fasted intermittently without reducing their food intake, who reduced their food intake but did not fast, or did not restrict their diet at all, were not as successful in losing weight," says Dr Hutchison.
The study also checked the effect of the different diets on the women's health. Women who fasted intermittently as well as restricting their food improved their health more than those who only restricted their diet or only fasted intermittently.