In recent years, one of the more popular trends in the world of fad diets has been what is known as the 5:2 diet.
This is the regime by which you eat normal amounts for five days of the week, while two days out of the week are spend subsisting on a heavily restrictive 25% of your normal calorie intake.
The regime was alleged to be easier to follow than a simple calorie controlled diet.
A new study has found that the regime does work in the short-term, but you also lose the same amount of weight if you are on a standard calorie controlled diet.
According to
The Guardian, researchers from Austin Health and the University of Melbourne found that the average person in their study lost 5.3kg on the 5:2 diet, while those on a standard reduced-calorie diet lost 5.5kg on average.
Researchers wrote:
“Interestingly, weight loss slowed at the three-month mark for both groups, which was when the dietitian follow-up tapered out, showing support may be the key element in continuing success.”
