Is 5:2 intermittent fasting a super fast diet? Does is it help in weight loss? – The Indian Express

As we try to wage our own battle with the bulge, we try to look for the softest option called dietary management. That explains the rise of intermittent fasting or gapping food intake over longer stretches so that meals can be broken down completely and the body can make up for the calorie-deficit by burning fat. Result: By dropping fat, you lose weight. Of the many routines in it, the 5:2 diet is being increasingly adopted simply because it appears doable — you eat normally for five days and fast for two days, cutting down your calorie intake to about one-fourth, 500 calories for women and 600 for men.
What’s the evidence of the 5:2 diet efficacy? That’s inconclusive
Question is if adopting the diet does indeed result in weight loss. Though sporadic reports show some benefits, they are too isolated to warrant a generalisation that this diet indeed leads to significant weight loss. In fact, in one study carried out in 2010, researchers found that women placed on a 5:2 diet achieved similar levels of weight loss as women placed on a calorie-controlled diet. They also experienced reductions in a number of biological indicators (biomarkers) that suggest a reduction in the risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. A further study in 2012 suggested that the 5:2 model may help lower the risk of certain obesity-related cancers, such as breast cancer.
In another study, published on July 1, 2017, in JAMA Internal Medicine, 100 overweight people were assigned to one of three eating plans: Restricting daily calorie intake by the same amount every day (similar to a traditional diet plan), fasting on alternate days, and continuing with normal eating habits. At the end of the 12-month study, both diet groups had lost weight compared with the normal eaters. However, those fasting didn’t fare any better than those on conventional calorie-cutter diets.
In that case, should I follow a 5:2 diet at all?
The perception that one can eat whatever he/she likes for five days and starve for the next two days is not correct, according to Dr Uday Phadke, Director of Diabetes and Endocrine Services, Sahyadri Group of Hospitals, Maharashtra. “It’s not like you can give in to your cravings on those five days. Eating healthy is important those days too,” says he. The doctor has observed that complying with any diet is challenging for patients and at the end of two to three years, there is not much difference between diets as far as weight loss is concerned. Besides, one has to measure the outcome of any diet. “What are you going to achieve? Is it weight loss? Is it keeping diabetes in check, reducing blood pressure or bringing down elevated cholesterol levels,” he says. Without such clear goal-setting, adherence and compliance might just seem a tall order.
If eating patterns are being studied as possible ways to maintain good health and live longer, then it comes down to how many calories are being consumed, whether it is spread over four or two meals. Besides, there must be a healthy balance of macro nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins and fats. As Dr Phadke advises, “Nothing should be put on a pedestal and for any diet, the outcome should be measured. These are lifestyle changes and a reasonable, sensible diet followed on a long-term basis with the correct proportion of carbs, proteins and fats is what we advise our patients. Done with motivation and persistence, there are good results,” he says.
What are side effects?
Dr Vinayak Harale, endocrinologist at Dr D Y Patil Hospital, Pune, says there are no major side effects of the 5:2 intermittent fasting. However, it can cause a continuous feeling of hunger, irritability and headache. Participants in other studies have reported hunger, irritability and a decreased ability to concentrate during periods of fasting when they start on the intermittent fasting regimen.
Who should avoid this diet?
This is not recommended for growing children, elderly people, pregnant or lactating women. Those with eating disorders or with an immunocompromised condition should also refrain from such fad diets. Dr Phadke sounds a note of caution for people with medical conditions. For instance, people with diabetes who are on medication need to be cautious about a sugar crash while adopting any intermittent fasting diet. For those who are on borderline diabetes, a modification of lifestyle can help bring down sugars to normal levels. “There is a need to understand that in diabetes there is a problem with the insulin secretion from the pancreas and hence only lifestyle modifications may not necessarily reduce sugars in all patients. Medication is also required,” Dr Phadke points out.
On staying motivated and need for long-term research
One of the first studies by Mumbai-based nutritionists and the Chennai-based Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), which studied the effects of intermittent fasting on weight loss, was published in July in the Journal of the Association of Physicians of India. “Our sample size was small (32 overweight participants who were given a plan to be followed over a three-month period),” says Dr R M Anjana, Managing Director and Consultant at Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre. “The study found that restricting food intake to a time window of 8-10 hours or less daily seems to be a feasible alternative. However long-term sustainability still needs to be studied,” says the researcher.
“The participants faced challenges like cravings, weakness in the morning, gastric issues, disturbed bowel movements, and difficulty sustaining in a socially active scenario,” adds Dr Anjana. The best results of any diet can come through lifestyle changes that include being active, getting regular exercise, managing portion sizes, having light and early dinner, cancelling post-dinner snacks, having fewer carbohydrates in the diet and consciousness about healthy foods. “It is also important to make individuals who embark on intermittent fasting aware of these issues and keep them motivated,” the study researchers have said.
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Anuradha MascarenhasAnuradha Mascarenhas is a senior editor with The Indian Express, Pune…. read more

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