Abstract
Background
An imbalance in appetite and eating behavior, accompanied by heightened food cravings, disrupts the equilibrium between energy intake and energy expenditure, leading to the development of obesity and overweight conditions. There are different dietary strategies to control obesity complications, yet their effects on food behaviors remain an understudied aspect of these interventions. One such intervention gaining increasing attention is intermittent fasting, particularly modified intermittent fasting.
Methods
This research constitutes a randomized controlled parallel-group trial aimed at comparing the impact of a modified intermittent fasting diet and a daily calorie restriction diet on various factors including appetite, food cravings, eating behavior, and anthropometric indices in women who are classified as either overweight or obese. The study will span a duration of 8 weeks. A total of fifty-four eligible participants will be carefully matched based on their age and BMI, and subsequently allocated to either the "modified intermittent fasting" group or the "daily calorie restriction" group. The primary outcomes include the Visual Analog Scales (VAS) for appetite, the Food Craving Questionnaire (FCQ), the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), BMI, and Fat-Free Mass (FFM). As secondary outcomes, the study will also explore changes in waist circumference and body fat mass.
Discussion
This study investigates the effects of an 8-week intermittent fasting intervention compared to a daily calorie restriction approach on appetite, food cravings, and eating behavior. By obtaining this information, we seek to enhance our understanding of the intermittent fasting diet and its potential effects in these domains.
Trial registration:
Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT20220522054958N2. Registered on 30 May 2022. https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/63737.