Cut to the diet chase

DIETS in which you fast on one day and eat normally the next are no more effective than simply cutting calories, research shows.

Growing numbers of people are turning to alternative-day dieting, which is even more extreme than the 5:2 regimen where only 500 calories are allowed for two days a week.

Experts claim “every other day” diets are easier to follow than calorie-controlled ones as you can eat what you like for half the time. But American scientists have found they are no better at encouraging weight loss than cutting calories.