Sorry--not so fast...

There are a few major flaws in the design of this study.

First of all, why are they doing a weight loss study on lean individuals? That doesn't make any sense at all.

The point of fasting is to normalize serum insulin levels (which allows use of body fat for energy). Lean individuals generally don't have issues with serum insulin OR EXCESS BODY FAT, for that matter...

Second, while randomized controlled trials are typically the gold standard of research design, for weight loss research it is sub-optimal as compliance becomes a potential confound. This study makes no mention of controls put on what, and more importantly for the fasting group, WHEN subjects in each group ate. So we don't know if the subjects in the "fasting group" really fasted.

Third, why were subjects in the fasting group told to overeat on fed days? Over-feeding can result in higher serum insulin levels which will make any fat loss that might have been possible in these lean people less likely to occur.

What's happened here is that you've fallen for the smoke and mirrors of research designed to show fasting isn't so effective.