Dr. Jason Fung: Fasting as a Therapeutic Option for Weight Loss

Dr. Jason Fung, MD, is a nephrologist and expert in the use of intermittent fasting and low-carbohydrate diets for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. In this presentation, delivered on Aug. 2, 2018, at the 2018 CrossFit Health Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, Fung shares his first-hand experiences with “The Mess” and discusses how he shifted his research and medical practices as a result of those experiences. Fung’s objectives for his presentation include: 1. Understanding why long-term weight loss is so difficult. 2. Introducing the concept of therapeutic fasting. 3. Understanding some myths and misunderstandings associated with the fasting process. He recalls treating obese and diabetic patients with traditional methods, which included what he characterizes as poor dietary recommendations and a slurry of drugs. He explains, “It became obvious that I’m just sort of holding their hand until they get their heart attack, until they get dialysis, until they go blind, until we chop their feet off.” “It’s reall