Yo Yo Dieting, the Truth Revealed.

The government estimates that $33 billion is spent on weight loss products and services each year. Unfortunately, many of these provide quick weight loss via fads or gimmicks, but when you go off the program, the weight comes back with a vengeance. People often try multiple weight loss plans, losing weight and then gaining it back each time. This type of pattern is called yo-yo dieting or weight cycling, and although it’s not usually intentional, it is reality for a large number of individuals. Plenty of studies have been done on yo-yo dieting and its effect on the body. Let’s take a closer look at this issue before we give you our recipe for long-term success.

Falling into a yo-yo dieting pattern is actually pretty easy…follow my logic here. You find a diet you think will work well—you lose weight—you realize you can’t follow the plan forever or you reach your weight goal—you go off the plan—gradually weight starts to come back. When your weight gets back up to an uncomfortable level, you try yet another plan, and the whole process starts over again. In the past, this scenario was thought to have adverse consequences on body composition, health, metabolic rate and future weight loss attempts. Recent research hasn’t necessarily found this to be the case, though there are certainly short-term changes in all of these variables when your weight fluctuates up and down.

A study done by McCargar looked at measured resting metabolic rates of overweight women who had chronically dieted, and then compared these values to predicted values from two different metabolic equations. There were no differences between measured and predicted metabolic rates. The researchers concluded that chronic dieting does not cause a prolonged decrease in resting metabolic rate (1). Additionally, the National Task Force on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity conducted a meta-analysis and found that weight cycling has no adverse effects on metabolism, body composition, risk factors for cardiovascular disease or on future weight loss efforts (2). This is pretty convincing evidence that chronic dieters are no worse off after repeated weight loss attempts; however, there is another side to the story.

Some researchers are convinced that weight cycling and the potential for adverse consequences are still up for debate. Brownell and Rodin believe subsequent weight loss efforts could be more difficult under certain circumstances, and some individuals may regain weight faster as a result of weight cycling. They also acknowledge that previous studies linked weight cycling with psychopathology (mental disorders), life dissatisfaction and binge eating. They point out that epidemiological research shows an association between weight fluctuations and disease and death as well. The exact reason for this is not fully understood (3).

Yo-yo dieting may not be as detrimental to your body as we once thought, but why put yourself through it? We advocate lifestyle change, meaning you learn and adopt habits that you can stick with for the rest of your life. We get frustrated, much like the dieters themselves, when we hear about people that have lost 40# at least three or four different times on a variety of weight loss plans. There’s a better way of achieving improved health and performance, and the results are more permanent. We want people to make healthy food choices most of the time and exercise regularly, incorporating cardiovascular, strength training and stretching. Doing these things consistently will make weight problems a thing of the past. No matter what you have going on, nutrition and exercise need to be priorities in your life. You also need to have the right mindset going in because the process takes some hard work on your part. Once you’re able to make these commitments, a healthy lifestyle is just around the corner.

References

McCargar L et al. Chronic dieting does not result in a sustained reduction in resting metabolic rate in overweight women. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 96: 1175-77, 1996.

National Task Force on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity. Weight Cycling. Journal of the American Medical Association. 272: 1196-1202, 1994.

Brownell K, Rodin J. Medical, metabolic and psychological effects of weight cycling. Archives of Internal Medicine. 154(12): 1325-30, 1994.