WHY DIETS JUST DON’T WORK – PART III

There are several studies that show a history of yo-yo dieting as an indicator of predicting type 2 diabetes. The findings that did show this outcome were from adults who regained weight after 28 days of weight loss.

The issue in these situations was that the weight gain was mostly belly fat, which is more likely to lead to diabetes than fat stored in other areas of the body. And, depending on what you are eating that causes you to gain that weight back – meaning high-glycemic, high-carb foods like pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, baked goods, sodas and a myriad of sweet drinks and special coffees, desserts, chips, etc. – you are going to be spiking your blood sugar a lot more. And a high spike in blood sugar leads to a high spike in an insulin response.

Not only is insulin a fat storage hormone, but increased insulin levels can be an early sign of diabetes. The studies that have been done on diabetes and weight cycling (or yo-yo dieting) demonstrate that those who lost and then gained back more weight than what existed before they dieted were more likely to end up with diabetes.

And since we are talking about metabolic disease, which is what diabetes is classified as, we would be remiss in not mentioning the increased risk in heart disease. Repetitive dieting has been associated with coronary artery disease, in which the arteries to the heart become narrow.

Studies have also shown that weight gain, versus a steady state of being overweight, increases that risk. One particular study followed over 9500 adults to study heart disease factors. They found that the increased risk of heart disease depended upon the amount of weight swing or fluctuation, meaning the more weight lost and then regained after dieting, the greater the risk. In fact, several studies showed that large variations in weight over time actually doubled the odds of death from heart disease.

And speaking of heart disease, blood pressure is adversely affected by gaining and losing over and over, as well. Not only is yo-yo dieting linked to increased blood pressure, continued weight loss and gain by dieting can alter any healthy effect of weight loss on blood pressure in the future.

In a study of 66 adults with high blood pressure, it was found that those with a history of yo-yo dieting had less improvement in their blood pressure with the next weight loss.

So, we don’t want you to get the message that losing weight isn’t worth it! Losing weight can reverse fatty liver, it will improve your sleep, reduce your risk of cancer and many other things.

You don’t have to be perfect, but you do need to learn to eat healthy as a way of life. Kick dieting to the curb and make permanent lifestyle changes that will help promote a healthy weight. You will feel better physically, mentally and emotionally, and you will feel like you are back in control of your life.