Obesity markedly increases risk for diabetes, heart attacks, strokes and many cancers, all of which can lead to premature death. Once a person becomes obese, it is very difficult to return to and maintain a normal weight. All of the widely-promoted diets (low-fat, low-carbohydrate, calorie-counting and so forth) have failed to stop the incredible increase of obesity in North America over the last 50 years.
Eating regular meals five days a week and markedly reducing calories for the other two days may be the best way to lose weight and keep it off. This approach to weight loss is called “intermittent fasting.” We have some good data on how effective this diet regimen is for animals, but we are just starting to see the results of research on humans. Most of the studies on humans do not ask participants to avoid all food on their “fast” days. Participants usually eat normally for five days and restrict food to about 500 calories a day for two days a week.
