5:2 diet

The 5:2 diet, or fast diet, is a diet which stipulates calorie restriction for two non-consecutive days a week and unconstrained eating the other five days.[1] A form of intermittent fasting,[2] it originated and became popular in the UK, and spread in Europe and to the USA.[3]

Proponents of the diet claim it causes weight loss and has some beneficial effects on health;[4] however as with other fad diets these claims are not supported by high-quality evidence.[5]

Description

The diet specifies a low calorie consumption (sometimes described as "fasting") for two days a week, which should not be consecutive, but allows unmoderated[6][7] eating for the other five days.[8] Men may eat 600 calories (2,500 kJ) on fasting days, and women 500 calories (2,100 kJ).[9] A typical fasting day may include a breakfast of 300 calories (1,300 kJ), such as two scrambled eggs with ham, water, green tea, or black coffee, and a lunch or dinner of grilled fish or meat with vegetables, amounting to 300 calories.[8]

Proponents say that fasting for only two days a week may be easier for dieters to comply with than daily calorie restriction.[8]

Evidence

There is limited evidence of the diet's safety and effectiveness.[4]

According to NHS Choices, people considering the diet should first consult a physician, as fasting can sometimes be unsafe.[4]

In the UK, the tabloid press has reported on research claiming the 5:2 diet could reduce the risk of breast cancer; however according to the NHS the evidence being considered formed an inadequate basis for making such statements.[10]

Reception

The diet became popular in the UK after[3] the BBC2 television Horizon documentary Eat, Fast and Live Longer [11] written and presented by Michael Mosley was broadcast on 6 August 2012 and many books on the diet quickly became bestsellers, soon after.[12]

The diet has enjoyed media attention and celebrity endorsement,[13][14] but the UK National Health Service and its critics have termed it a fad diet.[1][5]

References

  1. 1 2 "How to diet". Live Well - NHS Choices. UK National Health Service. 9 December 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  2. ↑ Emma Young, New Scientist (2 January 2013). "Hunger games: The new science of fasting". Thomasville Times Enterprise. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  3. 1 2 "The UK's Hot New 5:2 Diet Craze Hits The U.S. - Weight Loss Miracle?". Forbes. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 "News analysis: Does the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet work?". Health News. UK National Health Service - NHS Choices. May 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2016. Champions of the 5:2 diet claim that other than helping people lose weight, 5:2 diet can bring other significant health benefits ... Studied cited in analysis: Int J Obes (Lond), 2010 Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2012
  5. 1 2 Trueland J (2013). "Fast and effective?". Nursing Standard (Pictorial). 28 (16): 26–27. doi:10.7748/ns2013.12.28.16.26.s28.
  6. ↑ Mosley, Michael. "The 5:2 diet: can it help you lose weight and live longer?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 September 2012. With this regimen you eat what you want five days a week...
  7. ↑ Emma Young, New Scientist (2 January 2013). "Hunger games: The new science of fasting". Thomasville Times Enterprise. Retrieved 3 January 2013. ...I am allowed to eat whatever I want on the five non-fast days.
  8. 1 2 3 Mosley, Michael. "The 5:2 diet: can it help you lose weight and live longer?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  9. ↑ "The 5:2 diet - Can starving yourself twice a week make you live longer?". Yahoo! Lifestyle. 7 September 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  10. ↑ "Could 5:2 diet play a role in preventing breast cancer?". NHS Choices. 17 June 2016.
  11. ↑ Mosley, Michael (5 September 2012). "Eat, Fast & Live Longer". Horizon. Episode 49x03. BBC. 2. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  12. ↑ Stone, Philip (22 February 2013). "Public appetite for fasting grows: four intermittent fasting titles earn bestseller status; Mary Berry beats Paul Hollywood in a baking battle; and children's sales slump due to a calendar quirk". The Bookseller: 17.
  13. ↑ "A Weight Loss Plan That Lets You Have Your Cake And Eat It Too". Huffington Post. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  14. ↑ "Mimi Spencer's fabulous 5:2 fast beach diet: Lose up to 12lb in 6 weeks!". Daily Mail. 17 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
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