Is intermittent fasting worth trying, and who should avoid it?

For weight management, trials generally show it works about as well as ordinary calorie restriction — no metabolic magic, but a structure some people find easier to follow. Its real advantage is simplicity: fewer decisions, and for many people it eliminates late-night eating. Who should avoid it or seek advice first: anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, people with a history of disordered eating, those on diabetes medication that can cause hypoglycaemia, and anyone underweight. In Indian households where dinner is late and social, a fasting window that ends early is often impractical, and an eating pattern you cannot sustain has no benefit.