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Updated
Reading 1 min.
in collaboration with
Alexandra Murcier (Liberal dietitian-nutritionist)
Medical validation:
November 17, 2022
The young intermittent seduces more and more followers. However, it is not without danger and can cause serious eating disorders (ED) in the youngest.
Intermittent fasting is a dietary practice that consists of alternating periods of fasting (12 to 16 hours in a row) and periods of eating. Very trendy at the moment, it does not involve less risks. A new study published in the journal Eating Behaviors has thus just demonstrated that fasting could be the cause of serious eating disorders.
Binge eating and compensatory behaviors
In this study, researchers looked at data from 2,762 Canadian teens and young adults. All of them had to complete a questionnaire on intermittent fasting and their eating habits.
A total of 47% of women, 38% of men, and 52% of transgender people said they had practiced intermittent fasting in the past 12 months.
However, this was significantly associated with a “psychopathology of eating disorders(such as binge eating) and compensatory behaviors (vomiting, compulsive exercise).
“The associations found between intermittent fasting and disordered eating behaviors are particularly important, given the significant increase in APT in adolescents and young adults since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.“, revealed Jason M. Nagata, co-author of the study.
This work therefore illustrates the dangers of this diet, which must be avoided in the context of weight loss.
“At this point, the claimed benefits are still unclear and unsupported by research, and the potential downsides become clearer.“, reveal the researchers.
An observation shared by Alexandra Murcier, dietician-nutritionist.
“In people who are a little fragile or who have already experienced eating disorders, intermittent fasting should be avoided because it can aggravate them. In general, I also advise against skipping meals, because this process can quickly become a gear.“, warns the expert before adding: “if intermittent fasting is not interesting in the context of weight loss, it can on the other hand improve transit“.
However, this practice requires supervision by a health professional.