Weight loss is considered a key to end the obesity issue, which triggers many consequences that im¬pair the state of health specifically. Many techniques can be applied to tackle and reduce the accumu¬lated fat in the body. One known approach is Intermittent Fasting (IF) that can be performed through various methods. The objective of the protocol is to promote weight loss. This study is performed to examine the effectiveness of Intermittent Fasting on reducing the body mass index; therefore, lower¬ing the risk of developing more health complications. To accomplish the analysis, a systematic review which focused specifically on randomized controlled trials studies was conducted through following the standard reporting guidelines outlined in the PRISMA statement. Nineteen studies were found relevant and were narratively synthesized and included in this study. All 19 intermittent fasting trials found a fat loss and a weight loss of 3% to 12.5% of baseline weight. The findings of two studies that examined intermittent fasting in Ramadan showed a positive impact of intermittent fasting on the body mass index while the two studies that combined intermittent fasting with exercise documented weight improvement and fat loss. Also, findings showed that an intermittent fasting approach may provide a significant benefit for insulin resistance. However, the time devoted in the previous exper¬iments was insufficient to assess the effectiveness of the target technique. For this reason, it is sig¬nificantly necessary to conduct long term duration and large population studies to completely analyse how effective the intermittent fasting is in weight loss.
Key words: Fasting, Intermittent fasting, Body mass index (BMI), Insulin sensitivity, Weight loss.
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