Evaluating the effectiveness of 16/8 intermittent fasting strategy and developing general guidelines
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61173/3rwen695Keywords:
16/8 intermittent fasting, weight loss, cardiometabolic health, general guidelinesAbstract
With the increasing incidence of obesity and related cardiometabolic disorders, dietary interventions have become a related research hotspot. The 16/8 intermittent fasting (IF) strategy, as one of the several dietary interventions, has attracted widespread attention for its potential benefits in weight management and cardiometabolic health. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the 16/8 IF strategy in promoting weight loss and improving cardiometabolic health, while developing practical guidelines for the general population. The research used a mixed-methods approach, combining secondary research through a comprehensive review of existing literature on the 16/8 IF strategy with primary research from a food diary survey and a reflection questionnaire administered to volunteer participants. The results suggest that the 16/8 IF strategy is effective in reducing calorie intake and supporting weight loss. However, its effects on cardiometabolic markers such as insulin sensitivity, blood glucose levels, lipid profiles and blood pressure were inconsistent across studies. Primary research has shown variable adherence and highlighted common challenges such as unplanned snacking. While the 16/8 IF strategy is a viable alternative to continuous calorie restriction, its success depends on structured eating, individualized adherence strategies, and a balanced diet within the meal window. This project delivered guidelines for the general population to effectively implement the 16/8 IF strategy.
References
Blüher, M. (2019). Obesity: Global Epidemiology and Pathogenesis. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 15(5), 288–298. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-019-0176-8.
Carter, S., Clifton, P.M. and Keogh, J.B. (2018). Effect of Intermittent Compared With Continuous Energy Restricted Diet on Glycemic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes. JAMA Network Open, 1(3), e180756. Available from: doi:https://doi. org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0756. Casanova, N., Beaulieu, K., Finlayson, G. and Hopkins,
M. (2019). Metabolic adaptations during negative energy balance and their potential impact on appetite and food intake. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 78(3), 279–289. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/s0029665118002811. Chair, S.Y., Cai, H., Cao, X., Qin, Y., Cheng, H.Y. and Ng, M.T. (2022). Intermittent Fasting in Weight Loss and Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Nursing Research, 30(1), e185. Available from: doi:https://doi. org/10.1097/jnr.0000000000000469.
Chooi, Y.C., Ding, C. and Magkos, F. (2019). The epidemiology of obesity. Metabolism, 92(92), 6–10. Available from: doi:https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2018.09.005. Chow, L.S., Manoogian, E.N.C., Alvear, A., Fleischer, J.G., Thor, H., Dietsche, K., Wang, Q., Hodges, J.S., Esch, N., Malaeb, S., Harindhanavudhi, T., Nair, K.S., Panda, S. and Mashek, D.G. (2020). Time‐Restricted Eating Effects on Body Composition and Metabolic Measures in Humans who are Overweight: A Feasibility Study. Obesity, 28(5), 860–869. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22756. Domaszewski, P., Konieczny, M., Dybek, T., Łukaniszyn- Domaszewska, K., Anton, S., Sadowska-Krępa, E. and
Skorupska, E. (2023). Comparison of the effects of six-week time-restricted eating on weight loss, body composition, and visceral fat in overweight older men and women. Experimental Gerontology, 174, 112116. Available from: doi:https://doi. org/10.1016/j.exger.2023.112116.
Dyńka, D., Paziewska, A. and Kowalcze, K. (2023). Keto Menu–Effect of Ketogenic Menu and Intermittent Fasting on the Biochemical Markers and Body Composition in a Physically Active Man—A Controlled Case Study. Foods, 12(17), 3219. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12173219. Erdem, N.Z., Bayraktaroğlu, E., Samancı, R.A., Geçgil-Demir,
E., Tarakçı, N.G. and Mert-Biberoğlu, F. (2022). The effect of intermittent fasting diets on body weight and composition. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 51, 207-214. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2022.08.030. Gabel, K., Hoddy, K.K., Haggerty, N., Song, J., Kroeger, C.M.,
Trepanowski, J.F., Panda, S. and Varady, K.A. (2018). Effects of 8-hour time restricted feeding on body weight and metabolic disease risk factors in obese adults: A pilot study. Nutrition and Healthy Aging, 4(4), 345–353. Available from: doi:https://doi. Dean&Francis Xiyan Yang org/10.3233/nha-170036. Herz, D., Karl, S., Weiß, J., Zimmermann, P., Haupt, S., Zimmer, R.T., Schierbauer, J., Wachsmuth, N.B., Erlmann, M.P., Niedrist, T., Khoramipour, K., Voit, T., Rilstone, S., Sourij, H. and Moser,
O. (2024). Effects of Different Types of Intermittent Fasting Interventions on Metabolic Health in Healthy Individuals (EDIF): A Randomised Trial with a Controlled-Run in Phase. Nutrients, 16(8), 1114–1114. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ nu16081114. Kord-Varkaneh, H., Salehi-Sahlabadi, A., Tinsley, G.M.,
Santos, H.O. and Hekmatdoost, A. (2023). Effects of timerestricted feeding (16/8) combined with a low-sugar diet on the management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled trial. Nutrition, 105, 11184. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2022.111847.
Kushner, R.F. (2018). Weight Loss Strategies for Treatment of Obesity: Lifestyle Management and Pharmacotherapy. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 61(2), 246–252. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2018.06.001. Liu, D., Huang, Y., Huang, C., Yang, S., Wei, X., Zhang, P., Guo, D., Lin, J., Xu, B., Li, C., He, H., He, J., Liu, S., Shi, L., Xue,
Y. and Zhang, H. (2022). Calorie Restriction with or without Time-Restricted Eating in Weight Loss. New England Journal of Medicine, 386(16), 1495–1504. Available from: doi:https://doi. org/10.1056/nejmoa2114833. Lowe, D.A., Wu, N., Rohdin-Bibby, L., Moore, A.H., Kelly, N., Liu, Y.E., Philip, E., Vittinghoff, E., Heymsfield, S.B.,
Olgin, J.E., Shepherd, J.A. and Weiss, E.J. (2020). Effects of Time-Restricted Eating on Weight Loss and Other Metabolic Parameters in Women and Men With Overweight and Obesity: The TREAT Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, 180(11), 1491-1499. Available from: doi:https://doi. org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.4153. Mattson, M.P., Moehl, K., Ghena, N., Schmaedick, M.
and Cheng, A. (2018). Intermittent metabolic switching, neuroplasticity and brain health. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 19(2), 80–80. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/ nrn.2017.156. McAllister, M.J., Pigg, B.L., Renteria, L.I. and Waldman,
H.S. (2020). Time-restricted feeding improves markers of cardiometabolic health in physically active college-age men: a 4-week randomized pre-post pilot study. Nutrition Research, 75, 32–43. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.nutres.2019.12.001. Moro, T., Tinsley, G., Bianco, A., Marcolin, G., Pacelli, Q.F.,
Battaglia, G., Palma, A., Gentil, P., Neri, M. and Paoli, A. (2016). Effects of eight weeks of time-restricted feeding (16/8) on basal metabolism, maximal strength, body composition, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk factors in resistance-trained males. Journal of Translational Medicine, 14(1). Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-016-1044-0.
Sukkriang, N. and Buranapin, S. (2024). Effect of intermittent fasting 16:8 and 14:10 compared with control‐group on weight reduction and metabolic outcomes in obesity with type 2 diabetes patients: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of diabetes investigation, 15(9). Available from: doi:https://doi. org/10.1111/jdi.14186.
El-Nahas, N.G. and Abd El-Hady, A.A. (2019). Effect of Aerobic Exercise Training on Body Mass Index and Functional Performance in Diabesity Women under Intermittent Fasting 16/8 Protocol. The Medical Journal of Cairo University, 87(June), 1525–1530. Available from: doi:https://doi. org/10.21608/mjcu.2019.53571. O’Hearn, M., Lauren, B.N., Wong, J.B., Kim, D.D.
and Mozaffarian, D. (2022). Trends and Disparities in Cardiometabolic Health Among U.S. Adults, 1999-2018. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, [online] 80(2), 138–151. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2022.04.046. Rynders, C.A., Thomas, E.A., Zaman, A., Pan, Z., Catenacci,
V.A. and Melanson, E.L. (2019). Effectiveness of Intermittent Fasting and Time-Restricted Feeding Compared to Continuous Energy Restriction for Weight Loss. Nutrients, 11(10), 2442. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11102442. Schroder, J.D., Falqueto, H., Mânica, A., Zanini, D., de Oliveira,
T., de Sá, C.A., Cardoso, A.M. and Manfredi, L.H. (2021). Effects of time-restricted feeding in weight loss, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk in obese women. Journal of Translational Medicine, 19(1). Available from: doi:https://doi. org/10.1186/s12967-020-02687-0. Swift, D.L., McGee, J.E., Earnest, C.P., Carlisle, E., Nygard,
M. and Johannsen, N.M. (2018). The Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Weight Loss and Maintenance. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 61(2), 206–213. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2018.07.014. Waldman, H.S., Witt, C.R., Grozier, C.D. and McAllister,
M.J. (2023). A self-selected 16:8 time-restricted eating quasiexperimental intervention improves various markers of cardiovascular health in middle-age male cyclists. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.), 113, 112086. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2023.112086. Wilhelmi de Toledo, F., Grundler, F., Bergouignan, A., Drinda,
S. and Michalsen, A. (2019). Safety, health improvement and well-being during a 4 to 21-day fasting period in an observational study including 1422 subjects. PLOS ONE, 14(1), e0209353. Available from: doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0209353.
World Health Organization (2024). Obesity and overweight. [online] World Health Organization. Available from: https:// www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-andoverweight. (Accessed 15th August 2024).
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 by the authors.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
