Diets Don’t Work
The Gist: Diets don’t work.
Visual: More than half of lost weight is regained in 2 years, and more than 80% regained in 5 years.
Really!?
Diets can work for individuals and certainly for periods of time. However, when you analyze long-term weight loss studies, more than half of the lost weight is regained in 2 years… and more than 80% regained in 5 years. Additional studies have found that the best predictor of whether someone will regain the weight they lose is if that person has previously lost weight. There is even evidence that with dieting, your resting metabolic rate (how many calories you burn just by existing) decreases when you lose weight and does not increase to the same level when you regain the weight.
What Now?
Is it possible to lose weight? Of course. Emerging research suggests that the most successful way to lose weight is slowly, sustainably, and with a focus on eating a balanced, high fiber diet and exercising. That doesn’t mean becoming a bodybuilder or a marathon runner, but moving and eating sustainably.
Resources
2007 Study Summary, 2018 Meta Analysis
Biggest Loser Contestants & Weight Gain
Learn about Set Point Theory
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