RESUMO
Objective To compare the weight loss and metabolic profile between a continuous energyrestricted diet and intermittent fasting diet in order to present an optimal nutritional weight reduction method for obese people in China. Methods Sixty overweight or obese adults were selected and divided into two groups as the continuous energy-restricted diet group and the intermittent fasting diet group. Height, weight, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), body fat, change of visceral fatarea, fasting glucose (FPG), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol ( TC), high density cholesterol ( HDL), low density cholesterol (LDL), glutamic pyruvicaminotransferase ( AST), signglutamic pyruvic transaminase ( ALT), gammaglutamyltranspeptidase (GGT), alkalinephosphatase (ALP), fasting insulin level (FINS) and HOMA-IR were assessed at baseline and 8 weeks after weight loss methods carried. Results Both continuous energy-restricted diet and intermittent fasting diet resulted improvement on body shape indexes and a significant decrease in weight, waist circumference, BMI, body fat, visceral fat area and skeletal muscle (P<0. 01) at 8 weeks. Both groups experienced improvements in biochemical outcomes and metabolic indicators at 8 weeks. A significant reduction in TC, AST, ALT, GGT, ALP, FINS and HOMA-IR (P<0. 01 or P<0. 05) were observed in continuous energy-restricted diet group. And a significant decline in TC, LDL, HDL, AST, ALT, GGT, ALP, FINS and HOMA-IR were observed in intermittent fasting diet group (P <0. 01 or P < 0. 05). HDL was found significantly reduced in intermittent fasting diet group as compared with continuous energy-restricted diet group (P<0. 01) at 8 weeks, however, there were no difference in weight loss, waist circumference, BMI, body fat, visceral fat area and other metabolic indicators at 8 weeks (P>0. 05). Conclusion Both intermittent fasting diet and continuous energy-restricted diet have a similar effect on weight loss and metabolic indexes like blood glucose, HOMA-IR and blood lipid, but intermittent fasting diet can more significantly decrease HDL level.