[tom_mellior]

> work in general

That's far from sure at this point. Yes, HN is a hotbed of intermittent fasting propaganda [1], which may make it seem like there is general agreement. But you'll find other communities pushing other diets as the one true diet, so... more research is needed.

[1] Note, for example, that the submitter subtly but crucially changed the title, which in the original says "works for many" (emphasis mine).

[downerending]

I'm not particularly claiming that IF works. My main point is that nothing we know of really works generally and reliably.

I've personally lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off continually for more than a decade. But I don't really know how I did that, nor do I have much confidence that whatever I did would work for others.