Intermittent Fasting: South Korea’s Latest Strategy in the Fight Against Obesity

[mediK / HEALTH IN NEWS] Obesity has become the modern world’s loudest health alarm. It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidemia, fueling ongoing interest in weight-loss approaches. Lately, the method stealing the spotlight in South Korea is intermittent fasting (IF).

While conventional diets obsess over 'how much' you eat, IF asks 'when' you eat. Instead of focusing solely on calorie reduction, it adjusts meal and fasting windows to better align eating patterns with the body’s circadian rhythm and metabolism.

Tuning the Metabolic Clock

Traditional calorie-restricted diets often falter on hunger, fatigue, and stress. Intermittent fasting differs by aligning with natural metabolic cycles, which may help the body use energy more efficiently.

Popular protocols include:

- 5:2 plan: Five days of normal eating, two days limited to 400–600 kcal.

- Alternate-day fasting (ADF): One full fasting day followed by a free-eating day.

- Modified alternate-day fasting (MADF): Up to 25 percent of daily needs on fasting days.

- Time-restricted eating (TRE): All meals confined to an 8- to 12-hour window.

These fasting patterns may support metabolic changes that influence energy use and cellular repair processes such as autophagy.

Intermittent fasting is a dietary practice that pauses eating for set periods, allowing metabolic processes to shift during fasting intervals. Far from just a starvation diet, it’s gaining attention as a strategy that may help support circadian rhythm and metabolic health. (Image design = GDH AI Design Team)

Science-Backed Wins: Weight, Blood Sugar, Inflammation

A 2022 study led by Professor Cho Yoon-jeong at Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine put numbers to the hype. Over ten weeks of MADF, participants shed an average of 5.6 kg (roughly 20 percent of excess weight), while fasting glucose, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides all improved.

The 5:2 regimen was particularly effective in reducing insulin resistance and fasting insulin levels. The 16:8 TRE approach reduced waist circumference and lowered inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and oxidative stress.

In short, regular fasting intervals may improve metabolic efficiency and support better weight regulation.

Powerful, Yet Not Bulletproof

Intermittent fasting is no panacea. Dropout rates mirror those of steady calorie restriction; one trial in type 2 diabetes patients recorded 27.1 percent attrition in the IF group. Most studies span just 3 to 12 months, leaving long-term safety and durability unproven. Older adults, pregnant individuals, adolescents, and people with diabetes should seek medical guidance first due to potential risks such as hypoglycemia.

For visitors eyeing Seoul’s wellness clinics or Jeju’s retreat spas, IF is the buzzword on every nutritionist’s lips—but always pair it with local medical guidance.

Oh Ha Eun medi·K TEAM press@themedik.kr

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