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Health

01st Dec 2017

The 5:2 weight loss method might not be as effective as we thought

Ellen Tannam

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.”