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Abstract

Background: Intermittent fasting (IF) has emerged as a widely practiced dietary strategy with growing scientific interest for its potential role in managing obesity and improving metabolic health. With global rates of overweight and obesity rising at an alarming pace, effective non-pharmacologic interventions are increasingly needed to address associated metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and impaired glucose regulation.
Objective: This narrative review aims to explore the metabolic effects of intermittent fasting in overweight and obese adults, highlighting its clinical benefits, potential limitations, and areas requiring further investigation.
Main Discussion Points: The review synthesizes findings from recent literature, revealing that IF is consistently associated with reductions in body weight, improved insulin sensitivity, better glycemic control, and favorable lipid profile changes. Various IF regimens, including time-restricted eating and alternate-day fasting, show similar metabolic benefits. However, the evidence is limited by short intervention durations, small sample sizes, and variability in outcome measures. Methodological issues such as selection bias, lack of blinding, and limited population diversity further constrain the generalizability of results. Despite these limitations, IF appears well-tolerated and effective for short- to medium-term metabolic improvements.
Conclusion: Intermittent fasting holds promise as an adjunct strategy for managing metabolic health in overweight populations. While current evidence supports its use in clinical practice, further high-quality, long-duration studies are needed to confirm long-term efficacy, safety, and sustainability.