August 15, 2012
redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports Your Universe Online
Good news for yo-yo dieters: You can lose as much weight as people who dont have a history of losing and regaining
Yo-Yo dieting a dietary cycle characterized by a rapid weight loss then regain has become quite popular among dieters today. Most experts do not recommend this lifestyle due to certain health risks and feel it doesnt help with weight loss in the long run. So why the sudden change of heart?
A new study, published in the journal Metabolism, shows that a history of yo-yo dieting does not have a negative effect on your metabolism or the ability to lose weight long term.
Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., a member of the Hutchinson Centers Public Health Sciences Division, says: A history of unsuccessful weight loss should not dissuade an individual from future attempts to shed pounds or diminish the role of a healthy diet and regular physical activity in successful weight management.
Obesity, affecting more than two-thirds of U.S. adults, is common, serious and costly. Its a known risk factor for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and many types of cancer. A relationship between body fat and the production of certain hormones and inflammatory markers is thought to contribute to increased cancer risk.
The World Health Organization estimates that a quarter to a third of cancers could be prevented with maintenance of normal weight and keeping a physically active lifestyle, says McTiernan, the studys senior author.
The yearlong study used 439 overweight, Seattle-area women, aged 50-75. They were assigned to one of these four groups: reduced-calorie diet only; exercise only (mainly brisk walking); reduced-calorie diet plus exercise; no intervention group.
The studys intention was to figure out whether women with a history of moderate or severe weight cycling were at a disadvantage compared to women who did not use this method of dieting when it came to weight loss.
See the article here:
Regular Weight Loss No Different Healthwise Than Yo-Yo Dieting
