The latest diet craze claims to help people lose weight through intermittent fasting, but some nutritionists say it's a bad idea.
People on the so-called "5:2 diet" can eat whatever they want for five days a week, but must then fast for two. On the fasting days, dieters must eat one-fourth of their typical daily calories, about 500 calories for women and 600 for men.
While it's true that consuming fewer calories than you burn will result in weight loss, nutritionists have concerns that the diet will lead to unhealthy eating.
Fasting can cause people to think too much about food, and possibly overeat on the days when they're allowed to eat freely. If people eat lots of cake and cookies on their "normal eating" days and don't think about their overall diet, it can potentially lead to nutrient deficiencies and poor eating habits.
Studies also show that people tend not to stick with diets that require fasting, said Katherine Tallmadge, a dietitian and the author. "It's not something I would advocate, because I don’t think it's sustainable."
In her practice, Tallmadge has observed that clients who restrict their calories for five days a week still won't lose weight if they splurge on the other two days.
"My experience has been that [this] way of eating does not produce weight loss even in the short term," Tallmadge said.
Tallmadge also said that some susceptible people might develop eating disorders while on the diet, and engage in starvation, binging or both.
On the plus side, the diet may help people pay more attention to what they eat on a normal day. Whether they're dieting or not, people should try to eat healthfully and incorporate a variety of foods into their diet, including fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and low-fat dairy.
A new diet that involves intermittent fasting doesn't teach healthy eating behaviors, nutritionists say.
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