Health Spotlight | Intermittent fasting: Popular weight loss method may not boost metabolism

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]Health spotlight presented by Columbus Regional Health.

[00:00:04]A new study warns the number of Americans living with obesity is expected to rise by 19 million and impact 126 million Americans by 2035.

[00:00:15]As more people look for effective ways to lose weight, intermittent fasting is becoming more and more popular. In tonight's health spotlight, we take a look at the benefits of the diet trend and the potential risks.

[00:00:29]If you're not reaching the number you want, you cut back on what you eat. And intermittent fasting is a popular way.

[00:00:35]More than 13% of Americans have tried it.

[00:00:38]>> You eat only in a particular number of hours for the day. Time-restricted eating, or TRE, is a form of this fasting, but new German research found that it doesn't improve metabolic health. If someone is going to eat later in the day, that tends to be a little bit worse for your metabolism and for your risk of disease.

[00:00:59]In fact, a study by the American Heart Association concluded that 8-hour time-restricted eating is linked to a 91% higher risk of cardiovascular death.

[00:01:09]And while experts say some long fasting may enhance cognition, shorter fasting appears ineffective, especially for those with cognitive decline. What about long-term weight loss? Collingwood says the long-term effects of intermittent fasting are unknown, so it's still important to watch your calories. It's the reduction in calories that causes the weight loss, not necessarily eating in a shorter period of time. Check with your doctor if you're diabetic or have specific health risks.

[00:01:40]A small study last year in the British Journal of Cancer further suggested that a version of the 5:2 method of intermittent fasting might let women with metastatic breast cancer live longer. For the women on the diet, it took an on average 42 weeks for their cancer to progress compared to 28 weeks for those not on the diet, but experts say this still needs to be confirmed by larger studies.