Intermittent fasting interventions for the treatment of overweight and obesity in adults aged 18 years and over: a systematic review protocol.

Review Question/objective: Are intermittent fasting interventions an effective treatment for overweight and obesity in adults, when compared to usual care treatment (continuous daily energy restriction - reduced calorie diet) or no treatment (ad libitum diet)?

Background: Overweight and obesity (classified as Body Mass Index [BMI] of greater than or equal to 25 and 30 respectively) is a global public health concern, with more than 1.9 billion adults worldwide being overweight in 2014 (over 600 million of whom are obese), and resulting in more deaths than underweight. A raised BMI in adulthood is associated with an increased risk of developing a number of chronic diseases which include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, muscular skeletal disorders and some cancers.