According to UK based scientists, fad fasting diets don’t help you lose weight quicker

In trials at the University of Bath, participants lost less weight when fasting in comparison with those following a traditional diet

Intermittent fasting has been endorsed by celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, and Reese Witherspoon

Seems like it’s time to ditch Intermittent fasting- diets that involve switching between periods of fasting and periods of eating normally. According to UK-based scientists, such diet routines don’t help in weight loss.

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In trials at the University of Bath, participants lost less weight when fasting in comparison with those following a traditional diet – even when their calorie intake was the same overall, reports dailymail.co.uk.

The study authors believe intermittent fasting – which has been endorsed by celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey – are ‘no magic bullet for weight loss’.

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A traditional diet, involving steadily restricting calorie intake over a given period, is therefore likely the better option for people who want to lose weight.

The study has been led by Professor James Betts, Director of the Centre for Nutrition, Exercise & Metabolism at the University of Bath.

“Many people believe that diets based on fasting are especially effective for weight loss or that these diets have particular metabolic health benefits even if you don’t lose weight,” said Betts.

“But intermittent fasting is no magic bullet and the findings of our experiment suggest that there is nothing special about fasting when compared with more traditional, standard diets people might follow,” he added.

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One of the most well-known intermittent fasting diets is the 5:2, which involves eating normally for five days and then reducing calorie intake to a quarter of your daily needs – typically 600 for men or 500 for women for each of the two days.

Another form of intermittent fasting is the 16:8 diet, favoured by ‘Friends’ actress Jennifer Aniston.

Followers of this diet fast for 16 hours a day, and eat whatever they want in the remaining eight hours – typically between 10 am and 6pm.