In 2025, Haohao Zhang and team at Zhengzhou University compared three diets for 52 obese people with type 2 diabetes: intermittent fasting (5:2 plan, eating normally five days and cutting calories two), time-restricted eating, and steady calorie reduction. They measured weight, blood sugar, and insulin response over months.

A 2025 meta-analysis by Kazeminasab et al. (Université Clermont Auvergne & CNRS) reviewed 35 randomized controlled trials with 1,266 adults. They found that combining intermittent fasting with exercise didn’t reduce VO₂max or leg/bench strength, but did slightly boost handgrip strength.

A 2025 feasibility trial by Meinlschmidt et al. studied 54 women with and without obesity after a 10-hour daytime fast. Both groups reported increased hunger and lower satiety, but mood effects differed: women with obesity experienced more depression and anger, while non-obese women mainly reported increased fatigue.