Chris Martin was recently interviewed on the Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend podcast where he revealed that he doesn’t eat dinner anymore and stops eating altogether at 4pm. He then went on to say that it wasn’t a nutritionist whose advice he was falling but that of Rock God Bruce Springsteen.
‘I was lucky enough to go over there for lunch the day after we played Philadelphia last year,’ said Martin. I was on a really strict diet anyway. But, I was like ‘Bruce looks even more in shape than me.’ And Patti [Bruce’s wife] said, ‘he’s only eating one meal a day’ so I was like, well, there we go, that’s my next challenge.’
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He’s not the only one in Hollywood, or the only one in his family, sharing their eating (or perhaps, lack of eating) habits. Last week Martin’s former partner, Gwyneth Paltrow caused a stir on social media, admitting she also employs an intermittent fasting regimen. Paltrow revealed on the Art of Being Well podcast she feasts upon a hearty diet of ‘bone broth for [lunch a lot of the days. Then for dinner I try to eat according to paleo, so lots of vegetables.’
Needless to say, we’re not convinced, but let’s weigh up the facts on fasting.
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting (IF) has gained popularity with other celebrities such as Mark Wahlberg and Hugh Jackman touting its benefits. But what is it?
Intermittent fasting is an eating method where you simply limit the hours in which you eat. Some versions of intermittent fasting include:
- 20:4 – Fast for 20 hours, eat within a 4 hour window.
- 16:8 – Fast for 16 hours, eat within an 8 hour window.
- 14:10 – Fast for 14 hours, eat within a 10 hour window.
- Alternate day fasting – Fast completely for 24 hours on alternate days.
- 5:2 – Calorie restriction rather than strict fasting, eat normally for 5 days a week and 600 calories for 2 days a week.
- The warrior diet – Again, not necessarily strict fasting, but it involves eating only fruits and vegetables during the day, then one large meal at night.
Intermittent Fasting: The Pros & Cons
Whilst research is limited, there have been some benefits found by adopting the IF eating method, including:
- Weight loss: From a review published by the Annual Review of Nutrition, it appears that among the 16 trials, 11 reported statistically significant weight loss. It concluded that almost any intermittent fasting regimen can result in some weight loss.
- Reduction in risk of some diseases: The review continued to summarise that some studies in rodents support the hypothesis that IF can improve metabolic profiles and reduce the risks of obesity and obesity-related conditions. However, data from related human studies is limited regarding the positive impacts of IF.
Despite this, when compared with calorie restriction, a 2022 study found IF to be no more effective. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine included 139 participants with obesity and assigned them to time restricted eating (intermittent fasting) with calorie restriction or daily calorie restriction alone. The results found that changes in weight were not significantly different between the two groups at the assessment 12 months later. It concluded that ‘among patients with obesity, a regimen of time-restricted eating was not more beneficial with regard to reduction in body weight, body fat, or metabolic risk factors than daily calorie restriction.’
The MH Verdict
According to research by the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, one of the most important factors that dictate long term weight loss success is adherence. As with any diet, it’s important the body is being fed with the nutrients it needs. Depriving the body of certain foods needs to be done under the guidance of a professional to ensure it’s done safely and helps you achieve what set out to without harming yourself in the process.
