Yo-yo dieting is still better than not going on diet

Losing weight is seldom the problem for the serial dieter – the problem is keeping the fat from creeping back.

Most dieters have gained and lost their extra fat several times. It is demoralizing to say the very least. Maybe if you’re currently looking at the extra large version of yourself – the idea of going on D-I-E-T feels pretty close to DYING. Is it worth it ? Could the fluctuating weight not be a health risk in itself ?

Science answers this difficult question with a resounding , YES, it is better to have lost and gained than never to have lost at all.

Trouble with fat is the effects are cumulative

The fatter you are and the longer you’re fat, the bigger the risk of something seriously malfunctioning. The part of the body that breaks down is variable, but being overweight puts strain on the body.

Being fat costs more than a beach holiday in a bikini. 

Mice spinning on the yo-yo

A research team from Ohio investigated the long-term health consequences of cycling from thin to fat and back in a group of laboratory mice.

The study involved keeping tabs on the health of three groups of mice over two years.

• Group 1 were fed a normal diet – not too many calories, so they were normal weight.
• Group 2 were fed too many calories, specifically they were fed a high-fat, low carbohydrate diet. The too many calories in, caused these mice to put on weight, leaving them obese.
• Group 3 started out eating too many calories, but they found themselves going on diet, every so often to simulate a yo-yo diet. They lost weight by following a low fat, high carbohydrate regimen which cut their calories.

Yo-yo dieters did better

As expected, the animals eating TOO much ended up with more body fat, PLUS poor control of their blood sugar levels.

As the months ticked by, the health profile of the yo-yo dieters, waxed and waned according to their fatness level. But in the end – the yo-yo dieters did a lot better than the perpetually fat mice. For the record – the end was quite literally the end i.e. when the animals died.

The normal weight mice lived for 2.09 years (which is the mice version of living till a ripe old age). The yo-yo dieters demise, was fractionally earlier at 2.04 years. The fatties died at 1.5 years.

Weight cycling helpful not harmful

The results of this research suggest bouts of thinness, due to judicious dieting, in between fatness, could potentially be helpful and are unlikely to be harmful.

So the take home message – even if your BIG diet doesn’t bring permanent thinness, it still brings health benefits. So don’t give up.

PS. The secret to snapping that yo-yo string is to get a little education about body chemistry. Getting the 7 Big Spoons™ sorted is a good place to start.

If you’re serious about shedding those pounds for good, enrol in Cheat the Fat Genes programme.    Only availalbe in Gauteng, South Africa.

Yo-yo dieting vs. obesity? Dieters may be healthier, live longer - press release from Ohio University

 

Interested in learning more about the chemistry behind those extra fat layers ?

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Further reading

Eating protein saves your muscles while the fat cells burn	Give your fat cells a bottle to pacify them	A high fat diet will shed pounds faster without jeopardizing your heart

The 7 Big Spoons™…. are master switches that turn health on.

Balance Eicosanoids	Rein in insulin	Dial down stress	Sleep !	Increase Vit D	Culivate microflora	Think champion

Hire Dr Sandy from a Spoonful of Science to be the keynote speaker at your next event. Did you learn something new or do you have a different perspective ? I’d love to hear from you so post me a comment below