What are the side effects of dieting?

A survey last year found that adults will try 126 different diets during their lifetime, with an average of 2-3 a year. Often a fad diet, like Atkins, fasting and keto diets (low carb), meal replacements and juice cleanses. 

Have you tried one of these fad diets? 

They're called ‘fad’ diets because they promise fast weight loss with a significant reduction in energy intake that is not sustainable long-term. 

Yo-yo dieting and crash diets that result in weight cycling (losing and regaining the same weight)is actually harmful to our health long-term, making fad diets both dangerous as well as demoralising.

 

How do you know if your diet is a fad diet? 

Fad diets contain restrictive rules around eating. Ask yourself this: 

- Is a food group restricted, for instance carbohydrates? 

- Are there 'cheat' days, or 'cheat' foods? 

- Are there rules to break? 

- Are you counting calories or points? 

- Can you 'fail'? 

 If you said yes to any, then your 'diet' is likely to be unsustainable for a long period of time. 

For the large majority of us, that means that we stop the diet at some point, and often put any weight we lost back on - often, more than we lost in the first place. 

 When motivation wanes and the rules of the diet are too difficult to sustain, you stop the diet. This is nearly always seen as a ‘failure’ or a lack of 'willpower'.

But, if diets were intended to work, you would only ever do one. Contuinually starting a new diet is what makes the diet industry an estimated £2 billion a year in the UK. 

This £2 billion industry is costing us both our mental and physical health. Here's how: 

Many studies show that weight cycling may be associated with negative health outcomes, including: A higher BMI, higher body fat percentage, larger waist circumference, greater fat mass distribution in the upper body, lower metabolism, increased risk of hypertension and decreased glucose tolerance. Yo-yo dieting has also been linked to binge eating more and more frequent visits to the doctor. 

Psychologically, weight cycling is associated with lower self-esteem, a higher risk of depression and increases in the severity of Binge Eating Disorder.

Weight cycling also affects your future attempts at weight loss: in a recent study, when trying to lose weight as part of an intervention, people who had yo-yo dieted before lost less fat and more lean mass than those who had not previously dieted. Another study showed that when weight is regained following weight loss, people who had dieted previously put on a higher proportion of fat. 

I know they're tempting, but please don't jump on the next trend. 

It's easier said than done but try to focus on overall health and lifestyle. 

If weight loss is a serious focus for you, watch this space - there's more to come. 

More on why you shouldn't try the next 'best' diet: 

Here's why going on a diet is a very bad idea. 

Reason 28343190 why I hate diet culture.

Are carbs really the enemy?

You didn't fail the diet, the diet failed you.

Your body is not, and never will be, the problem.

You shouldn't go on a diet. Do this instead.

Kate Xx 

 

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 I post regularly on here and Instagram with self-love, body positivity and recipe ideas so that you can bloom into your best self, with me.