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Does dieting make you gain weight?

August 26, 2016 By Jodie Williams

Being at a healthy weight helps reduce your risk of chronic illness, helps you maintain an active lifestyle and seems to be recommended by all health experts. Right? So, why is it that dieting is so often linked to yo-yo successes? Sometimes quickly gaining weight and then gaining some more? Research is coming out now saying that the standard recommendation to lose weight by eating less and exercising more, could actually be damaging to our ability to maintain a healthy weight long term.

Starving Yourself is Not the Answer

It sounds great to quickly achieve the healthy weight you dreamed of, and the drastic weight loss attained by the contestants on controversial reality tv show, The Biggest Loser, is an example of the results that can be achieved through this type of eat less, exercise more diet and exercise regime. However, research published in The New York Times, suggests that the US contestants who lose weight in this way are up against some major metabolic hurdles to maintain their ideal weight. In fact, the question could be posed, does this type of weight loss regime result in permanent injury to your ability to maintain weight?

It has to do with resting metabolism, which determines how many calories a person burns when at rest. When the show began, the contestants, though hugely overweight, had normal metabolisms for their size, meaning they were burning a normal number of calories for people of their weight. When it ended, their metabolisms had slowed radically and their bodies were not burning enough calories to maintain their thinner sizes.

Read more about the experience of The Biggest Loser contestants here: After ‘The Biggest Loser’, Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight – The New York Times

Healing the Metabolic Thermostat for Weight Loss

No doubt you've heard experts talk about the metabolism as being like a thermostat? It strives to become more efficient in the face of scarcity, which in an eat less, exercise more environment, is exactly what your thermostat is sensing. The trouble seems to be that your thermostat resets to maintain your body functions on less food. Approaching weight loss with an eat less, exercise more approach, which is the most common regime followed, resulted in their contestants finishing The Biggest Loser program with a resting metabolism of between 250-800 calories (1,050-3,350 kilojoules) less, than a person of the same size who has not dieted in this way. It's not all about willpower keeping weight off, there are powerful metabolic compensations making regaining weight almost certain to occur.

The answer? The old approach isn't working, let's try something new.

Health at Every Size

Adopting behaviours that support health, regardless of size is in the best interests of everyone. The truth is, people of size are stigmatised for being ‘unhealthy', when weight alone has little to do with health. Health has more to do with:

  1. Regular movement and exercise.
  2. Getting 5 serves of vegies and 2 serves of fruit each day.
  3. Quitting smoking if you smoke.
  4. Drinking alcohol in moderation.

Science doesn't support the commonly held idea that normal weight is the only healthy size to be either. A 2013 Systematic Review and Meta-analysis found

Relative to normal weight [BMI of >18.5-25]… Grade 1 obesity [BMI of >30-35] overall was not associated with higher mortality, and overweight [BMI of >25-30] was associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality.

Curated from Association of All-Cause Mortality With Overweight and Obesity Using Standard Body Mass Index Categories

So let's shake the status quo. Stigma about weight harms everyone. People in larger bodies experience discrimination and shame, while people of normal and underweight are afraid of gaining weight, which contributes to the prevalence and harm of eating disorders in people of all sizes. Being comfortable with your weight, regardless of size is important for our overall health.

Greater satisfaction with one’s weight was associated with positive health behaviors and health outcomes in both men and women and across weight status groups.

Curated from Adults with Greater Weight Satisfaction Report More Positive Health Behaviors and Have Better Health Status Regardless of BMI

Seeking good medical care, being active, eating nutritious food, avoiding weight cycling and shielding yourself from weight stigma we now know is what contributes to ideal health. Much more than size.

Filed Under: Featured, Naturopathy, Weight Loss

About Jodie Williams

Jodie has worked in the health industry for over 10 years and has had an interest in health and how to be healthy from an early age. During Jodie’s childhood, she struggled with health issues that were supported by a healthy, active lifestyle.

Through a good start in country living Jodie has always had a passion for helping others live a healthy life and although it’s difficult in the city, with its inherent stresses and busyness, to always find the ideal way to be healthy, Jodie focuses on finding small ways to make changes to your lifestyle that deliver big benefits in health and wellbeing.

A qualified Naturopath and Massage Practitioner, Jodie understands health from a variety of angles and can tailor a health solution not only to your needs but also to your lifestyle and abilities. Change can be hard, but with the right support, you will find it just got that little bit easier.

Clinic: Glengala Road, Sunshine West VIC 3020 Australia
Email: jodie@total-wellbeing.com.au
Phone: 0402 097 028

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Naturopath and Massage Practitioner Jodie is a compassionate, dedicated practitioner, with a commitment to supporting you as you explore ways to find your best health. As a naturopath, Jodie uses various complementary medical techniques, including massage, iridology, herbs, nutritional … [Read More...] about Jodie Williams: Massage & Naturopathy

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Recent Posts

  • What is Naturopathy?
  • Developing skills for Mental Resilience and Self-Love
  • What Type of Massage is Right for you?
  • Healthy Blueberry & Almond Meal Cupcakes
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  • What inspires you?
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