According to the study, intermittent fasting led to an average 2.89-kilogram greater weight loss than calorie restriction—a statistically significant difference, though researchers noted the limited generalizability of their findings due to the single-site study design and demographic makeup of participants, 73.9 percent of whom were women.

Intermittent fasting has long been a controversial weight loss technique. A new study looks at how effective it is compared to daily calorie counting.