Intermittent fasting maintains weight loss benefits for one year
A study in Clinical Nutrition finds that a 12-week, 16:8 intermittent fasting program helps 99 overweight or obese adults maintain weight loss for at least one year. Researchers from the University of Granada found fasting groups kept off significantly more weight than a control group. The benefits persisted regardless of eating window timing, though an earlier window was linked to greater fat mass reduction. One in three participants continued the diet voluntarily.
16:8 intermittent fasting study
▪The research followed 99 adults who were overweight or obese for a 12-week program and a one-year follow-up.
▪A study in Clinical Nutrition examined the 16:8 intermittent fasting method, where eating is restricted to an eight-hour daily window.
One-year weight maintenance results
▪One year after the program, fasting groups maintained significantly more weight loss than a control group eating over 12 or more hours.
▪One in three participants voluntarily continued intermittent fasting during the year-long follow-up period.
▪A 12-week intermittent fasting program may help people maintain weight loss for at least one year after the structured intervention ends.
Early versus late eating windows
▪The long-term weight loss benefits were observed regardless of whether the eating window was early (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) or late (1 p.m.-9 p.m.).
▪Participants on the early eating schedule maintained a larger reduction in fat mass after one year.
Study methodology
▪Researchers measured body weight, fat mass, and fat-free mass before the intervention, immediately after, and again one year later.
▪All 99 participants first received education on following a Mediterranean diet before being divided into four study groups.
Research team institutional affiliations
▪The study was led by researchers at the University of Granada (UGR) and the Granada Institute for Biomedical Research (ibs.GRANADA).
▪Dr. Alba Camacho Cardeñosa of the University of Granada is the study's first author.
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