Trial reportPloS one2021
A randomised controlled trial of the 5:2 diet.
Trial report in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- Intermittent fasting strategies and their effects on body weight and other cardiometabolic risk factors: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of Intermittent Energy Restriction Compared with Those of Continuous Energy Restriction on Body Composition and Cardiometabolic Risk Markers - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials in Adults.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2024Pooled it
- Intermittent fasting in diabetic retinopathy: microbiome modulation, mechanisms, and clinical insights.Cardiovascular endocrinology & metabolism · 2026Review
- Adherence to Behavioral Weight Management: A Scoping Review of Definitions, Measurement, and Components.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026Article
- The 5:2 diet induces male-specific weight loss and sex-independent enhancement of lipid storage in mice via activation of GHSR.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Comparative effects of intermittent fasting and calorie restriction on cardiovascular health in adults with overweight or obesity.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Time-restricted feeding improves metabolic syndrome by activating thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue and reducing inflammatory markers.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Article
- Effect of the 5:2 Diet on Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Overweight and/or Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of endocrinology · 2025Review
- Therapeutic Potential of Various Intermittent Fasting Regimens in Alleviating Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Prediabetes: A Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2024Review
- Intermittent Fasting: Myths, Fakes and Truth on This Dietary Regimen Approach.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Effect of Intermittent vs. Continuous Energy Restriction on Visceral Fat: Protocol for The Healthy Diet and Lifestyle Study 2 (HDLS2).Nutrients · 2024Article
- Impact of Intermittent Fasting and/or Caloric Restriction on Aging-Related Outcomes in Adults: A Scoping Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Nutrients · 2024Article
- The effects of different intermittent fasting regimens in people with type 2 diabetes: a network meta-analysis.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Article
- Intermittent fasting and Alzheimer's disease-Targeting ketone bodies as a potential strategy for brain energy rescue.Metabolic brain disease · 2024Review
- Review
- Retention, Fasting Patterns, and Weight Loss With an Intermittent Fasting App: Large-Scale, 52-Week Observational Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2022Observational
- Is Intermittent Fasting Better Than Continuous Energy Restriction for Adults with Overweight and Obesity?Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy · 2022Review
- A Scoping Review of the Effect of Intermittent Fasting on Diabetes Regulation and Weight Control.Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolismReview
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThe 5:2 diet is a popular intermittent energy restriction method of weight management that awaits further evaluation. We compared the effects of one-off 5:2 instructions with the effects of one-off standard multicomponent weight-management advice; and also examined whether additional behavioural support enhances 5:2 adherence and efficacy compared to one-off instructions.
methodsThree hundred adults with obesity were randomised to receive a Standard Brief Advice (SBA) covering diet and physical activity (N = 100); 5:2 self-help instructions (5:2SH) (N = 100); or 5:2SH plus six once-weekly group support sessions (N = 100). Participants were followed up for one year.
resultsAdherence to 5:2SH was initially high (74% at 6 weeks), but it declined over time (31% at 6 months and 22% at one year). 5:2SH and SBA achieved similar weight-loss at six months (-1.8kg (SD = 3.5) vs -1.7kg (SD = 4.4); b = 0.23, 95%CI:-0.79-1.27, p = 0.7) and at one year (-1.9kg (SD = 4.9) vs -1.8kg (SD = 5.7), b = 0.20, 95%CI:-1.21-1.60, p = 0.79), with 18% vs 15% participants losing ≥5% of their body weight with 5:2SH and SBA, respectively at one year (RR = 0.83, 95%CI:0.44-1.54, p = 0.55). Both interventions received positive ratings, but 5:2SH ratings were significantly higher. 5:2SH had no negative effect on fat and fiber intake and physical activity compared to SBA. Compared to 5:2SH, 5:2G generated a greater weight loss at 6 weeks (-2.3kg vs -1.5kg; b = 0.74, 95%CI:1.37-0.11, p = 0.02), but by one year, the difference was no longer significant (-2.6kg vs -1.9kg, p = 0.37; ≥5% body weight loss 28% vs 18%, p = 0.10).
conclusionsSimple 5:2 advice and multicomponent weight management advice generated similar modest results. The 5:2 diet did not undermine other health behaviours, and it received more favourable ratings. Adding initial group support enhanced 5:2 adherence and effects, but the impact diminished over time. Health professionals who provide brief weight management advice may consider including the 5:2 advice as an option.
trial registrationISRCTN registry (ISRCTN79408248).
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.