Modified fasting in treatment of obesity

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How can you help morbidly obese patients lose the weight that is putting them at medical risk? Diets are notoriously prone to failure, but more drastic approaches, such as total starvation and surgery, carry considerable risk in themselves. Drs Valenta and Elias tried modified, or supplemental, fasting in 71 patients and report encouraging results. Good weight loss was achieved with minimal side effects, and risk factors, as assessed by laboratory means, declined significantly. The investigators caution, however, that supplemental fasting requires close medical supervision and must be used in conjunction with behavior modification techniques.