Be Aware! Diets Don't Work, May Even Be Dangerous

Diets Don't Work, May Even Be Dangerous
A comprehensive review of dieting research by the University of California found that dieting doesn’t work.
If you’ve vowed to lose a couple of pounds by going on a diet, you might as well skip the diet and try some exercise instead.A comprehensive review of dieting research by the University of California found that dieting doesn’t work. “You can initially lose 5 to 10 percent of your weight on any number of diets, but then all of the weight comes back, plus more" said lead researcher Dr. Traci Mann.In fact, Mann and her team discovered that it would have been better for most people if they had never gone on a diet at all. In their analysis of more than 30 long term dieting studies, Mann found most people on a diet typically lost 5 to 10 percent of their weight in the first 6 months. But over a 4 to 5 year period, not only did they gain the weight back, 33 to 66 percent actually gained even more weight. Janet Tomiyama, who co-authored the study, said several of the studies actually indicated that dieting is a consistent predictor of future weight gain.In one particular study the research team examined, men and women who took part in a weight reduction program actually gained significantly more weight than those who did not over the same period of time.Also, repeated weight loss and regain put people at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and altered immune function, said Dr Mann and colleagues.Dr Mann suggests that eating in moderation and exercise do make a difference. "Exercise may well be the key factor leading to sustained weight loss,” said Mann, who pointed to numerous studies where people who reported the most exercise also had the most weight loss.""The benefits of dieting alone are too small and the potential harm is too large for dieting to be recommended as a safe, effective treatment for obesity," said Dr Mann.The results of Mann and Tomiyama’s study can be found in this months edition of ‘American Psychology.’
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