Do Diets Work?

In the US, over a third of the population are considered not just overweight but obese. Many people think the answer is to go on a diet – but it’s not that simple. Report after report suggests that dieting just doesn’t work: when people diet to lose weight, they commonly put it back on (and more). Only 5% of dieters successfully stay at their new slimmer weight.

Researchers at UCLA in 2007 concluded that “Diets Are Not the Answer”, in a report about effective obesity treatments. They found that:

• “Studies show that one third to two thirds of dieters regain more weight than they lost on their diets.”
• “There is little support for the notion that diets lead to lasting weight loss or health benefits.”

The UCLA researchers concluded:

It appears that dieters who manage to sustain a weight loss are the rare exception, rather than the rule. Dieters who gain back more weight than they lost may very well be the norm, rather than an unlucky minority.

Why Do Diets Fail?

Diets make us feel hungry and deprived

If you cut your calorie intake significantly, you’re bound to be hungry. This can lead to cravings for the foods you’re trying to avoid – high-fat, high-sugar products. And the human mind tends to react badly to any foods being forbidden. Telling yourself that you’re not allowed chocolate may lead you into a binge.

Diets are short-term fixes to a long-term problem

People who are overweight rarely became that way in a short period of time. You may have struggled with your weight for your whole life: you’re not going to be able to fix that in a month of dieting. When people diet, they often eat in a way which is not sustainable long-term – so as soon as the diet ends, they go straight back to their old ways. This is a particular problem with weird and faddy diets, often popularised by celebrities.

Diets don’t address the emotional factors of overeating

Many people who are significantly overweight are emotional eaters – using food for comfort, to deal with stress or boredom. Turning to the cookie jar after a bad day at work, or diving into a tub of ice-cream during a relationship breakup, is not much better for your mind and body than seeking solace at the bottom of a bottle. In cases like these, diets are an attempt to fix the symptoms rather than the problem.

Ways To Successful Weight Loss

The best way to lose weight appears to be not to diet! As the UCLA researchers pointed out, diets often cause more harm than good, creating disordered eating habits and providing few or no long-term health benefits.

Individuals who do reach and maintain a healthy weight make sustainable lifestyle changes, rather than going on a quick-fix diet. Some of these changes are:

Exercising regularly

Although it’s possible to lose weight without exercising, it’s hugely important for health reasons to be active. You should be doing at least thirty minutes of moderate activity five times a week – that might mean cycling to work and back for fifteen minutes each way, or going for a thirty minute jog every weekday morning.

Addressing emotional factors

If you overeat due to stress, unhappiness, boredom or other emotional factors, you need to address these in order to make permanent changes. If you can’t stand your job, you might need to consider switching to a different career path. If you’re in a difficult relationship, it could be time to leave. If you eat because you’re bored, take up a new hobby (or go out for a walk!)

Sometimes, you might need to talk to a medical professional or counsellor about the emotional issues that are holding you back. Please don’t feel any shame in doing this – being willing to seek and accept help when you need it is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Making permanent changes to eating habits

Ultimately, you will only lose weight by making successful and permanent changes to your eating habits. That might mean breaking the habit of having a cookie with every mug of coffee, or it might mean getting into the habit of eating your five fruit and vegetable portions every day. Try to introduce new habits slowly, rather than changing everything all at once.

What’s your experience of diets? Have you been on multiple diets that just didn’t work? If you’re now a healthy weight, what eventually worked for you? If you know you still have weight to lose, how are you making long-term, sustainable changes to your habits in order to become healthier?