Intermittent fasting isn’t the weight-loss fix people think

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that is sometime promoted as a way to lose weight or live longer. But when you look at the science, the evidence is far more mixed.

Studies suggest it can lead to short-term weight loss, but it’s hard to sustain, and the weight often comes back. Research in humans has also yet to prove that intermittent fasting prevents heart disease, cancer or helps people live longer.

So, what actually works? Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and The Washington Post’s Ask a Doctor columnist, shares two simple habits she recommends instead, and explains why what you eat matters more than when you eat.