The impact of intermittent fasting on body composition and cardiometabolic outcomes in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Obesity is a global health crisis, projected to affect over 1.53 billion adults by 2035. Intermittent fasting (IF) has emerged as a potential alternative to continuous energy restriction (CER) for weight management and metabolic improvement. However, previous meta-analyses have reported inconsistent results. These knowledge gaps hinder the clinical translation of IF, and a rigorous synthesis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is necessary to clarify their effects on body composition and cardiometabolic health in overweight and obese populations.

Methods

This PRISMA-guided systematic review and meta-analysis searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science up to March 2025. We included 15 randomized controlled trials (n = 758) comparing IF diets with control diets i

SUBMITTER: Wang B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12309044 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature