A Narrative Review on Intermittent Fasting as an Approachable Measure for Weight Reduction and Obesity Management

Obesity can be regarded as the curse of this modern advanced and efficient lifestyle as it is the crux of very precarious comorbidities. The prevalence of obesity is so widespread that cases of obesity can be seen on either end of the age spectrum. With the rise of the twenty-first century and the rise of ease of living, the sedentary lifestyle also went on the rise to become the primary contributor to the rise in obesity. For the management of obesity, various dietary modifications grew in popularity, among which is intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting grew in popularity with the rise of the internet. Intermittent calorie restriction/time-restricted feeding is a form of caloric restriction revolving around a short window for eating and a comparatively larger window for fasting. This form of feed-fast cycle promotes increased consumption of adipose tissue and glycogen stores, leading to increased fat loss and reduced satiety. Intermittent fasting is also said to have cardioprotective functions as well known to control diabetic parameters and reduce the incidence of diabetes. This narrative review article's goals are to outline the benefits of intermittent calorie restriction while accounting for any of its potential limitations and pinpoint any knowledge gaps that may exist.