Thousands of people seeking to lose weight have been changed by the '5:2 diet'.
The 5:2 diet is a time-restricted eating plan.
The 5:2 system means that you can eat what you want five days a week, but you can only eat 500 calories on the other two days of the week.
Some research suggests intermittent fasting is not as good as conventional diet for long-term weight loss, but other kinds of experiments hint at significant benefits linked to time-restricted eating.
A new study led by researchers from Queen Mary University of London has found another reason why people may want to consider the 5:2 diet.
The team studied 300 obese people and randomly assigned them to one of three different kinds of weight loss intervention.
In the experiment, 100 of the participants were given conventional weight management advice in a single session with an advisor, who provided written materials that explained things like portion control, keeping a food diary, and tips on how to avoid unnecessary snacks.
A group of 100 participants had a different session in which they were advised on how to follow the 5:2 diet, but were left to try it alone.
The last 100 participants were given the same advice and documentation, but were also given a series of group support sessions that were meant to help them discuss their experiences on the diet with others.
The experiment ended when the three groups of participants were followed for a year. At the end of the year, 15 percent of participants in the 'conventional advice' group lost at least 5 percent of their body weight, which is the primary outcome measure of the study.
The two groups of 5:2 dieters lost slightly more weight on average, with 18 percent of the self help group losing at least 5 percent of their body weight, compared to 28 percent of the group support participants.
There was a key difference in the data between the groups that achieved moderate weight loss.
The 5:2 diet participants rated their experience more highly than the participants who received conventional weight management advice.
The 5:2 dieters rated their interventions higher in terms of helpfulness than conventional weight management advice, and they were more likely to recommend the diet to others.
After the experiment ended, feedback showed the 5:2 dieters had more desire to continue.
The 5:2 dieters seemed to have a better time trying to stick to their weight loss plan.
"Here we've been able to provide the first results on the effectiveness of simple 5:2 diet advice in a real-life setting," says health psychologist, Katie Myers Smith from Queen Mary University of London.
Users preferred the 5:2 diet as it was simpler and more attractive than traditional approaches.
The weight loss efficacy of 5:2 seen in the study is the same as what other intermittent fast studies have shown.
5:2 diet doesn't seem to achieve amazing results compared to conventional weight management advice, but the more favorable user ratings could be an important factor to consider for doctors advising real-world people struggling to lose weight.
According to the researchers, clinicians may recommend the 5:2 diet for weight management.
The approach is not better than the standard advice, but it is simpler and more attractive to use.
The findings are reported in a journal.
