The impact of intermittent fasting on body composition and cardiometabolic outcomes in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

作者：Bingjie Wang, Chen Wang, Haixia Li · 发表于：Nutrition Journal · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1186/s12937-025-01178-6 · 被引用次数：13 · 研究领域：Dietary Effects on Health、Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms、Diet and metabolism studies

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a global health crisis, projected to affect over 1.53 billion adults by 2035. Intermittent fasting (IF) has emerged as a potential alternative to continuous energy restriction (CER) for weight management and metabolic improvement. However, previous meta-analyses have reported inconsistent results. These knowledge gaps hinder the clinical translation of IF, and a rigorous synthesis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is necessary to clarify their effects on body composition and cardiometabolic health in overweight and obese populations. METHODS: This PRISMA-guided systematic review and meta-analysis searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science up to March 2025. We included 15 randomized controlled trials (n = 758) comparing IF diets with control diets in overweight/obese adults. Primary outcome indicators included total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Data were pooled using a random-effects model and analyzed in subgroups by intervention duration and IF form. RESULTS: IF significantly reduced BW (MD: -3.73 kg, 95% CI: -5.29, -2.17) and BMI (MD: -1.04 kg/m², 95% CI: -1.39, -0.70) in overweight/obese adults, while effectively improving lipid profiles, including TC (MD: -6.31 m...