Intermittent
fasting, one of the traditional methods of losing weight, has now found
scientific backing. Researchers now say that heavily restricting one’s calorie
intake for two days a week while eating sensibly for the remaining five days
can help weight loss. The study, conducted in a real-life setting, was
apparently appreciated by obese participants who found the diet easy to follow.

Also Read | Forget treats, love makes dog man’s best friend: Study

The study,
published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, claims that women looking to lose
weight should limit their calorie intake to 500 calories while men should limit
it to 600 calories two days of the week.

Also Read | 7 immunity-boosting foods that can help fight dengue

The study provides
the first results of the effectiveness of a simple 5:2 diet, said Katie Myers,
an author of the study and a chartered senior health psychologist. According to
Myers, who is also a senior research fellow at Queen Mary University of London,
medical professionals may want to consider including the 5:2 died as part of
their standard weight management advice to patients.

Also Read | Tips to keep your skin healthy during winter

Carried out in
London, UK, the research studied 300 obese people in Tower Hamlets, a high
deprivation area. Participants either used intermittent fasting using the 5:2
model or used a more conventional model of eating healthy foods comprising
vegetables and whole grain foods and cutting out sugar intake and eating in
small portions while exercising.

Also Read | Five ways to cheat yourself into eating healthy on your cheat day

For both the
approaches, the results were similar and modest. In six months, participants
who followed the 5:2 approach had lost 1.8 kilograms and those who followed the
regular way lost 1.7 kilograms. After 12 months, the results remained similar.

Within a year, 18%
participants following the 5:2 model saw a 5% drop in body weight. For those
following the conventional model, 15% saw 5% drop.

However, a key
discovery of the study was that participants using the 5:2 model said that they
were more likely to recommend the lifestyle to others and were also more likely
to continue with the approach. The study used the randomized controlled trial methodology.