Overcoming the Primary Challenge in Shedding Pounds
In a recent study published in the Journal of Translational Medicine, Prof Paul Pfluger suggests that yo-yo dieting, or weight cycling, worsens the health of mice. This finding adds to the growing body of evidence that highlights the negative effects of this common dieting pattern.
The study, like many others, found that the body's metabolism adapts to weight loss. For instance, a study in the journal Obesity discovered that contestants' resting metabolic rate slowed down substantially to compensate for the huge amounts of energy spent with gruelling workouts and feeding their bodies less. This means their bodies were burning fewer calories at rest than before they lost the weight.
The journey to better health begins with small, mindful steps. Understanding one's own food habits and structuring dietary interventions around personal weaknesses, as suggested by Prof Giles Yeo, can be a helpful strategy. However, the body's chemistry, including hormones, constantly tries to get a person to eat more, making weight loss difficult to maintain.
Researchers from various origins, such as Eugenia Calle from the USA and Giles Yeo affiliated with the MRC Metabolic Diseases unit in the UK, have contributed to the understanding of weight regulation. They highlight that even a moderate amount of weight loss, as little as 5-10% of total body weight, can substantially improve health.
However, the odds of keeping lost weight off are against a person. Studies show that in 80-95% of cases, a person will regain any weight they've lost over a number of years. This is a worrying trend, as not being able to keep the weight off can be a matter of life and death, as it puts people at higher risk of developing diseases.
The Biggest Loser TV show, which rewarded participants who lost the most weight while following drastic diets and intense regimes of physical exercise, is a prime example of this vicious cycle. Most of the contestants gained a substantial amount of weight after the show ended.
One factor contributing to this cycle is the body's obsession with weight gain. Researchers don't know what's behind this obsession, but a recent study suggests that fat cells can keep a memory of weight cycling in their epigenome, which may contribute to the weight's return.
Another factor is the environment. Highly processed foods are generally cheaper, more available, and more aggressively marketed than better-quality food, limiting control over what we eat. Stress also makes us crave sugary, fatty, and salty foods.
Improving sleep hygiene might be the thing that helps maintain a healthier weight. Sleep deprivation might change appetite hormones, increase fatigue, and give more time to reach for a snack during waking hours.
For some, weight-loss pills or bariatric surgery might be beneficial, depending on their health and weight-related conditions. However, moderate physical activity, such as walking, dancing, or mowing the lawn, can reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes by 20-30%.
Healthier foods will, in the long run, generally make you feel fuller and more satisfied than their junk-food equivalent. So, the journey to better health involves not just losing weight, but also making sustainable changes to one's diet and lifestyle. Dr Fatima Cody Stanford, a clinician and researcher from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, states that spending time at a lower weight is generally seen as a good thing by experts and even a moderate amount of weight loss can substantially improve health.
