Primary researchers: Becci Griggs, Christina Potter, Jeff Brunstrom (Ph.D. supervisor), Peter Rogers

In recent years, intermittent fasting diets such as the 5:2 Diet have achieved considerable popularity in the UK. The 5:2 Diet requires individuals to restrict their caloric intake for two days of the week (500 calories/day for women or 600 calories/day for men) while eating normally for the remaining five days.

Intermittent fasting diets like the 5:2 Diet have been associated with a number of beneficial health outcomes. In addition to weight loss, intermittent fasting has been associated with a reduced risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, as well as improved insulin sensitivity. It has been suggested that one reason for its popularity is that intermittent fasting may be more sustainable than alternative dieting strategies. We have been exploring whether this is the case and why.

Recently, two Ph.D. students (Becci Griggs and Christina Potter) have begun to address important questions about intermittent fasting. Becci is using the diet as a platform to understand the impact of individuals’ expectations about hunger and eating on dietary behaviour and reactivity to food. Christina is identifying individuals’ perceived physiological and psychological barriers to fasting and predictors of dieting success. Ultimately, Christina’s aim is to establish the merits of intermittent fasting as an intervention for weight loss.

To date, over 1,000 volunteers have participated in our intermittent fasting research studies, from diverse backgrounds and with varied weight and dieting statuses, greatly enhancing our understanding of the psychology behind the success of these diets. We are currently working hard to publish and disseminate these research findings. In fact, our work‌ was recently highlighted in the Waitrose Magazine (below)!   

If you would like to know more about this work, or if you would like to take part in our intermittent fasting studies, please contact us at nbu-52diet@bristol.ac.uk.