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Yo-yo Dieting: Harmful or Harmless?

Let’s face it – gaining and losing weight is a fact of life. Sometimes it’s just a few pounds here and there but, at other times, it can be even more significant amounts of weight. Commonly referred to as “yo-yo dieting” or weight cycling, one question that often comes up is whether losing and then regaining weight is harmful. Is it really better not to attempt weight loss at all?

Let’s look at the facts and see what the research says.

Numerous studies since the early 1990’s have shown no negative effects of weight cycling. Two of the most important conclusions from this research are:

  • Weight cycling does not lead to an increase in the amount of fat tissue. Those who regain weight have the same amount of fat and lean tissue (muscle) as they did initially. However, those who exercise might actually end up with more muscle after a period of weight loss and regain.
  • Weight cycling does not affect metabolic rate so it does not make it more difficult to lose weight the next time.

In spite of these many studies, however, the notion that yo-yo dieting is harmful just won’t go away.

Hopefully, a recent study will finally put an end to this myth. This study compared lifelong obesity in mice with those who had yo-yo dieted (using mice allowed researchers to look at the effects of diet over a relatively short period of time). Mice that switched between a high and low-fat diet every 4 weeks (yo-yo dieting) during their two-year lifespan lived 35% longer than obese mice that stayed on a high-fat diet. The researchers concluded that it is better to attempt to lose weight, even with repeated weight gains, than not to diet and remain obese. In fact, the mice on the yo-yo diet had a similar life span to those that remained on a low-fat diet and they both outlived the mice that remained obese.

While weight maintenance is certainly the goal, research clearly and consistently demonstrates that it is better to lose weight even if you regain. As one researcher concluded, “I would hope that this encourages people to not give up.” And so would I!
 

by LindaGotthelf on 09/05/2011 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: Weight-Loss, motivation

About the Author

Linda Gotthelf

Linda is the Director of Research and has a Ph.D in Psychology specializing in behavioral medicine. She is a founding member of HMR, starting as a health educator and working in several roles since 1984 and has been a co-author on many professional articles.

Comments (8) Post a comment
An August 2012 article in the journal Metabolism has just published a study confirming again that this concept of Yo-Yo dieting does not thwart weight loss efforts or alter metabolism. Good news again for dieters who need to manage their weight loss in stages and feel good about the weight we are maintaining. Here is a link to the Seattle Times summary of the article: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018926404_yoyodieting16m.html
by ChristineWeithman on 08/17/2012
Hi Linda, this is a really interesting and relevant blog! A yoga studio that I visit sometimes had an article bashing dieting in their newsletter a few weeks ago. The premise was that dieting is harmful to your health because many people diet in unsafe ways and because most people "yo-yo diet," or lose the weight and then gain it back. The article stated dieters are constantly in the failure syndrome, feeling guilty and worthless because they "failed" the diet. While I can understand the many people experience these feelings while dieting, the HMR program helps dieters stay out of the failure syndrome, reminding dieters to fill up on low-calorie HMR foods and fruits and veggies, and do lots of planning for an "in the box" day after going off the diet. The HMR program is full of "to-do" approaches to dieting, like eating more fruits and veggies, keeping records, and completing lots of physical activity. It's good to know that medically speaking, weight loss, even for just a short period of time, is still very beneficial for someones health.
by sailGirl on 12/06/2011
Thanks Linda, this is great info and totally makes sense.
by ivandrago on 11/17/2011
Thanks for dispelling that old diet myth!!
by MrsJudi on 09/14/2011
Linda, thanks, and I second Peggy. It can only help to reduce blood pressure, blood sugar and joint pressure...even if it is temporary. Seems it would have people being healthier overall, even as they "weight-cycle".
by NancyRNfit on 09/12/2011
Thanks for your great comments. Getting healthier, even with some ups and downs, can be such a powerful motivator. It's good to know that we don't have to be perfect to get the rewards.
by LindaGotthelf on 09/07/2011
This is great information!! The thought of whether I am hurting myself by losing and gaining weight often lingers in my mind. Then last week, I received the results of my health risk factor assessment -- In 2008, when I first tried HMR, my health risk factor score was 20. I was able to lose 90 lbs in the program and my risk factor score dropped to a negative number. Last year, I gained a lot of the weight back. This year I decided I needed to work on reaching my ideal weight once and for all. 14 weeks ago when I started the HMR decision-free diet, my health risk score was 14. Now, almost 40 lbs gone, my score is a 4. Although I have a way to go in order to reach my health and fitness goals, just looking at the dramatic decrease in my risk factors tells me that I am making the right decision. Your article confirms yet again that I am better off losing the weight, regardless of how many times I have tried in the past. We should not give up -- our life quality and longevity is worth the try...
by Claudia on 09/06/2011
Thanks for this post, Linda. It truly is a breath of fresh air. I can't tell you how often folks in my HMR Classes by Phone come to me with this question. I have always asked them to consider if it doesn't make sense that taking the weight off your heart and joints, even for intermittent periods, would be a help over time. We really do need to be disabused of this myth. Thank you for putting the research out there. Peggy Pursely, RD Senior Health Educator for HMR Classes by Phone Health Management Center
by PeggyatHMC on 09/05/2011