You don't think they looked up intermittent fasting? The diet was 5-6 days of eating whatever you want, and 35-60 hrs with the 350-550 calorie restriction. It's not brutal, it's standard.

I did M-W-F 400kcal days when I would intermittent fast, for 6 months straight, 3-4 times over about 6 years, and the last time my weight never went up again. I've been years in a 5lb range around my perfect high school weight with no effort or thought, and I completely blame IF.

edit: they buried it pretty good in the paper, but was it really worth commenting about if it wasn't worth checking?

There are 140 calories in a can of coke. All a person has to do is stop drinking two cans a day and make zero other changes and they’ve about met your 300 calorie reduction.

Hardly sounds like fasting to me.

Was confused by this, as well. It appears they skilled the intermittent part entirely.

That's starvation, not fasting.