Research for the 5:2 diet not as robust as many believe

[Healthista]

The scientist often quoted in the original Fast Diet Dr Krista Varady claims her ten years of research has been misrepresented by the authors and has asked all her work be taken out.

Varady's work focused on alternate day fasting, which she says is nothing like 5:2 and can't be used as evidence for its efficacy. This is worth reading:

www.healthista.com/nutrition/fasting-diets-science-research-studies-52-diets/

Well duh. Stupid fad, anyone can see that.

Indeed, but the one thing worse than a fad is a fad dressing itself up as bone-fide science

sorry bona-fide (I can spell, promise)

I first read about fasting when doing a psychology course on brain and ageing. Ultra low calorie diets (1000 cals) over a long period of time provided the health benefits. I do think that 5:2 isn't enough. Alternate day is better but it is very hard core as a way of life, not as hard core as permanently living off 1000 calories but hard enough. I tried it for a while. Very effective for weight loss of course but really hard to live with indefinitely.

Interesting article.

Poor lass is probably pretty pissed off that she's still not a full prof.
And actually her input was only a very small part of the research that had been tracked down by the people on the early threads by the time MM and MS brought out their book.

See I'm not doing 5:2 for weight loss.
I'm doing it for the IGF and Grehlin effects
Weight loss is a side effect of 5:2 not the reason for it.

ADF is too spartan for most people - 5:2 is sustainable.
I've happily been doing it for over a year and see no reason to stop ever as I enjoy it.

But Mosley doesn't just quote Varady. His book and Horizon doc references other research too to back up his claims for the health efficacies of 5:2. I'm a bit non-plussed by this news, to be honest. Oh, an surprise surprise... Varady has a (aimed-at-mass-market) book out!