Dr Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer’s dieting book ‘The Fast Diet’ was reportedly the best-selling book on Amazon through Christmas and is the origin of the 5:2 Diet that took the last quarter of 2013 by storm.
The premise is simple; eat for 5 days, fast for 2.
On the fasting days, dieters are supposed to simply restrict their intake to five or six hundred calories, for women and men respectively, and eat however they please on the other days of the week.
The NHS reportedly disapproves and has said that evidence is “limited” and that this approach to weight loss is “fairly radical”.
And it does seem fairly radical. But now several similar fasting diets are surfacing, such as the 4:3 diet, which promotes fasting on alternative days, which begs the question as to whether this is just another money spinning fad aimed at the weight conscious amongst us.
Opinions on these diets are mixed, with some people championing it, even claiming health benefits such as longer life expectancy, but critics reply by pointing out there is no evidence for these health claims.
If people are to be believed, however, it has helped a lot of them lose weight. But again, critics say that simple portion control can have similar effects while being less radical.
Overall, the evidence is scant, but the book is still selling and trying it could be the only way to find out for yourself. Alternatively, healthy, balanced eating and portion control could be a healthier alternative to lose that Christmas weight.