At the office, there are those who eat lunch at noon sharp, and those who wait until 2 p.m. because their “food window” is not yet open. Intermittent fasting has become a very visible slimming reflex, often presented as simpler than a diet.
A Cochrane review published on February 16, 2026, however, calms the excitement: in adults who are overweight or living with obesity, available data does not show a clear advantage of intermittent fasting over usual dietary advice to lose weight. This is not to say that it never works, but that it does not seem superior to the comparison approach studied.
What does this review really change for those who want to lose weight?
The central point is the comparison. The researchers didn’t just look at whether people lost weight while fasting. They sought to find out whether intermittent fasting was better than traditional dietary advice, or no intervention.
The review brought together 22 randomized trials, including 1,995 adults overweight or living with obesity. According to their results, in the comparison with usual dietary advice, the average difference in the percentage of weight loss since inclusion was -0.33 points, across 21 studies and 1,430 participants. The authors therefore judge that the level of proof remains low.
In summary, the useful information is quite simple: intermittent fasting can help some people reduce their intake, but current data does not make it a more effective method than usual dietary advice. This is also the meaning of our deciphering the fact that intermittent fasting would not do better than a classic diet, provided that “diet” is understood here as a supervised dietary approach, and not as a single formula.
Why does “intermittent fasting” not always mean the same thing?
Behind this expression, practices vary greatly. Studies included in the review included time-restricted feeding, periodic fasting, alternate-day fasting, or modified alternate-day fasting. These are not interchangeable protocols.
Limiting your meals to certain times does not have the same constraints as alternating days of restriction. And these research protocols do not automatically validate all programs seen on social networks, in an application or in a commercial offer.
This nuance matters, because success also depends on how the method fits into real life. In some people, a shorter eating window automatically reduces snacking. In others, it can lead to very heavy meals, cravings, fatigue or a more tense relationship with food. Before significantly changing your pace, it is better to know the advantages and limitations of intermittent fasting.
And in the long term, what do we really know?
The Cochrane review recalls an important limitation: the effects evaluated concerned follow-ups of up to 12 months. This is useful for comparing short-term strategies, but it doesn’t answer the question on many people’s minds:
is the weight lost maintained over the long term?
The authors also emphasize that other criteria deserve more data, such as quality of life, participant satisfaction, diabetic status and comorbidities. As for adverse events, they were reported irregularly in the trials, with very uncertain evidence. This does not allow us to firmly conclude that the method is risky for everyone, nor that it is harmless in all situations.
In France, the High Authority of Health recommends, in the face of overweight or obesity, personalized and comprehensive care: eating habits, physical activity, life context, possible psychological difficulties, eating disorders. Health Insurance, for its part, reminds that the reduction in energy intake must be done very gradually, and that a professional can help build a food plan adapted to schedules, pace of life and preferences.
This is often where the difference comes into play: not in the method that is the most commented on, but in the one that we can stick to without exhausting ourselves. For many, a more sustainable dietary approach, combined with progressive physical activity, will be more realistic than a very strict framework.
If intermittent fasting suits you and does not cause discomfort or food obsession, it can be part of a balanced approach. But in the event of significant overweight, obesity, medical treatment, difficulties with eating or in doubt, the good reflex is to speak to a professional before disrupting your meals.