I’ve heard that ‘intermittent fasting’ is making news these days (1). In addition to its growing popularity as a diet and weight loss tactic, science is building an improving case for a number of other benefits. I’m happy for whoever benefits from this news but I gave up on fasting a few months ago and I feel a return to fasting is unlikely.
I changed my routine in the summer to emphasize eating when I felt hungry rather than based on external factors like time. Reading Intuitive Eating pushed me in this direction but the change was part of a larger trend of listening to my body rather than listening to my intellect. What does science know about me that I won’t learn by listening to my body?
So, am I now captain of the anti-fasting team? Hardly. Fasting might be a great tool to help reestablish communication between mind and body. I think it’s also good for people to know that if you don’t feel hungry, you can skip meals. It’s beneficial! But I think offering fasting as a solution for people who do not listen to their hunger signals or ignore their satiety cues is a crutch for continuing an unhealthy behavior. The goal should be to help people establish healthy habits; I support fasting to the extent that it can help certain people move toward this goal but I don't think fasting alone is enough to reach the target.
Footnotes
1. You got the news... how?
I got this news as I usually do, a number of people who knew my habits heard about it first and asked me about my thoughts. There was a lot of surprise when I responded that I’d not fasted since August.
