The scientific director of the integrative medicine resort company Buchinger Wilhelmi, Dr Françoise Wilhelmi de Toledo, has died. She was 73.

Known for her work in championing fasting as a safe and effective practice, she spent decades demonstrating the benefits of the Buchinger Wilhelmi method for weight loss, cardiovascular health, detoxification, liver health, blood pressure, mood, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, arthritis and Type 2 diabetes. 

She was also involved in ongoing research to see how fasting combines with weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy and its impact on Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis.

She contributed to many scientific studies and published books, including The Art of Fasting.

The family-run operation shared the following on social media: “This is a deeply sad occasion for us as a family, the clinics, and the whole fasting community. She was not only a leading figure in therapeutic fasting but also our dear mother and wife – and at the same time the scientific director of our clinic.

“She leaves behind a great legacy that we will continue to carry forward – both within our clinic and throughout the global fasting community.”

Read a feature in Spa Business about the family business and Buchinger Wilhelmi fasting method here.

The company has well-established clinics at Lake Constance in Germany (opened 1953) and in Marbella (since 1973). A new flagship Buchinger Health Resort will open in 2029 in Roquefort-les-Pins on the Côte d’Azur in France.