Diets
Does fasting beat plain calorie-cutting for weight loss?
The claim, precisely: intermittent fasting decreases body weight
Insufficient Diets 🔬 Includes disconfirming
RefutedContestedStrong support
consensus score 0.00
Too early to say — when calories match, fasting adds no extra benefit beyond simply eating less.
Evidence ladder
How far up the ladder this claim has climbed. A high consensus on a low rung means "consistent so far," not "proven in people."
Top evidence so far: Human trials (RCT / n-of-1)
MechanismIn-vitroAnimalObservationalRCTMeta-analysis
How the studies fall
0 support 0 contradict 3 tested null 0 mixed · 3 sources, 0 independent groups
What the evidence shows
The pivotal honesty finding: when calories are matched, IF/TRE adds NO weight or cardiometabolic benefit over plain continuous calorie restriction. IF's real value is as a behavioural lever to eat less.
The evidence (3)
| Source | Grade | Stance | Quality | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TRE-adds-to-CR SR) 2024 · Obesity | mechanism | tested-null | moderate | SR: adding a TRE window to calorie restriction did not reliably add metabolic benefit |
| Trepanowski JF, et al. (Varady) 2017 · JAMA Intern Med | RCT | tested-null | moderate | 12-mo RCT: ADF vs daily CR (energy-matched) - no weight advantage, worse adherence |
| Liu D, et al. 2022 · N Engl J Med | RCT | tested-null | high | 12-mo RCT n=139: 8h-TRE+CR vs CR alone, calorie-matched - between-group weight diff NS (-1.8kg, ns) |
Educational only, not medical advice. Grades and scores reflect published evidence weighted by study design and quality; see the methodology.