– When I weighed 134 kilos, I functioned poorly in everyday life. Everything was tiring. It affected work, sleep and mood, but now I feel much better, says Haakon Engen to news. Engen needed a lifestyle change, and for him it was easier to fast parts of the day than other dietary options. – For me, fasting is a hub in a healthy diet, says Engen. His plan is to fast twenty hours a day, and indulge in what he wants in the remaining four hours, but without gluttony. Haakon Engen was 134 kilos in 2015 – Strongly advises against Fasting, or so-called time-limited eating, is an international trend that has also gained momentum in Norway. The topic is discussed in the Debate on news tonight. Do we get better health by ditching the snack as a nutritional biologist claims? Engen has chosen the extreme variant. Others choose to fast for sixteen hours, and limit meals to eight of the hours of the day. The trend goes across Norwegians’ dietary habits. Many people in Norway have grown up with breakfast being the most important of the three daily meals, which are supplemented with vegetables and fruit. Leader of the National Council for Nutrition, Jøran Hjelmeseth, is skeptical that people go on diets in agony instead of following the Norwegian and international dietary guidelines Photo: Russell Allen Jacobsen / Sykehuset i Vestfold – I am critical that people jump on diets at the drop of a hat instead of adhering to the Norwegian and international dietary guidelines which are more than good enough for good health, says head of the National Council for Nutrition, Jøran Hjelmeseth, to news. He is critical of the launch of diets that require more research, when we do not know enough about the good and bad effects they may have in the long term. – I would strongly advise against children, young people, pregnant women and the elderly trying this diet with time-limited eating, when we do not know whether it is harmful, says Hjelmeseth. Talk to your GP Nutritional biologist Marit Kolby is a supporter of time-limited eating. She agrees that there is a lack of good research on limiting the eating window, but believes that there are studies that show that some fasting is beneficial. – You shouldn’t force yourself to eat breakfast just because it is a culturally read and accepted truth. We need to spend time in a state where the body is doing repair and maintenance because these processes are important for us to stay healthy, says Kolby. Fasting has had a positive effect for Haakon Engen, but he encourages everyone to have a dialogue with their GP to assess the trend Photo: Marius Renner Christensen / news Engen says that even though he has chosen a diet that suits him, it might not for everyone, and that it is important to consult your GP. He also points out that there is a tradition of fasting in other cultures. – Fasting is nothing new. Buddhist monks and others have been doing this since the dawn of time and I am not aware of an epidemic of Buddhist monks who have died from fasting, says Engen. If you need to talk to someone about the relationship with your body and food after reading this article, you can contact Rådgivning om eating disorders.
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Haakon lost 40 kilos on a controversial fasting diet
