Body Weight Changes During Ramadan Intermittent Fasting: A Cross-Sectional Study of Healthy Adults in Turkey.

This study explores the impact of observing Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF) on body weight in Turkish residents, marking it as the first study conducted in Turkey to investigate the interplay of religious fasting with dietary changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesized that observing Ramadan fasting would result in weight loss attributable to dietary changes, while decreased physical activity would correlate with weight gain during this period. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Muslims aged 18+ in Turkey who fasted at least two days during Ramadan 2021.