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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?

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48 Comments

cereal

I think too many people have unrealistic goals when they go on diets;whether that be loosing weight at a ridiculous rate or trying to obtain a body type that just isn't feasible. It seems to me that people put weight loss... no make that vanity before their health a course that I think should be reversed in are highly weight minded society.

jenn

is being overweight healthy? NO

Anon

I began an exercise program first. Once I saw a little progress, I wanted to speed up the weight loss and I began eating healthy foods. It wasn't a diet, per se. I didn't count calories or deny myself meals or snacks. I just ate healthy because losing weight was fun. It was like a game.

After a while, I met my ideal weight and the "game" ended. But I now crave the healthier foods even without the reward of weight loss. Most of the psychological associations got replaced.

Liz

Anon,
Yours sounds like a very reasonable and sane approach to the whole endeavor. May I ask how much weight you lost? I apologize in advance if that is too personal a question.

Very good article. You hit the nail on the head. Too many people are looking for quick fixes and will go to just about any length to get that quick fix.

I see it everyday in my studio. People wanting me to give them some magical workout program that will have them lose 15 pounds in 2 days (I think I'm exaggerating).

I tell my clients to start with baby steps. Start changing a couple poor habits and don't move on until those habits are gone. Things like healthy snacking rather than poor snacking and getting rid of soda and doing the workouts I prescribe.

Just keep building on those baby steps until after a few weeks you notice you've made a big change and you don't feel deprived.

Dr. J

Ed, does the number capture really work on your blog?

Kami Gray

Well said Ed. It's not about dieting. It's about making small, habitual changes, moving more, and realizing that it's going to eventually pay off a little at a time. Once you're on that path, you can pretty much forget about it and move on to all your other life issues!

Katie

I don't know where I would fall in this. I lost wait in college and kept it off sort of successfully for more than two and a half years. Then, because I had lost more weight than I intended, I started trying to gain weight. However, that just leaded to a loss of control, so that here I sit now dealing with something that resembles bulimia.

So while I haven't gained all the weight back, I have gained some of it again. Now, I just need to find some way to get back to healthier life surrounded with vegetables.

Angela S

Great information. I hope more and more people begin to take notice and realize there are better, healthier ways to lose weight.

Liz

"There are better, healthier ways to lose weight."

Yeah, and your link goes to a page selling something called "MetaboSpeed."

Mike H.

I think anyone considering a diet should read this... great points, Ali!

Mandy

Very true article. I went through the diet cycle myself for about 15 years. Never worked for more than a few months at a time. My eventual solution was to get educated on my personal issues and make lifestyle changes that were realistic and did not prevent me from eating foods I liked. It's really hard to change what you do without help. My advice is to take some time like I did and invest in yourself. There are lots of places to go, but be sure that its a place dedicated to helping you change, not just another diet gimmick.

PRHL

I do not recommend Atkins. In fact, I often recommend to avoid this "fat diet". But I like one sentence he uttered: "A diet is not a game that you play for a few weeks."
Fact is: You are obliged to control your eating habit, because you are obliged to live healthy. The reason / motivation may vary: Some are convinced that they are morally obliged, others need a fit body for their profession, and an incredible number of people just doesn't care that they do have an obligation.
In fact, today it is very, very easy for many, many people to eat and live healthy: We know much about nutrition and we can buy healthy food.
Therefore motivation is of great importance. And the best part: You can decide what your motivation is.

Laura

Great information!

TrainerBoh

Diets seem to come with a hint of impermanence, meaning that people consider them to be temporary.

Having a "nutritional plan" rather than just a diet has worked well for my personal training clients experiencing lasting results.

Spectra

I never did like the idea of being on a diet. I tried a couple of them and they always made me feel deprived and cranky. Plus, I really hate anyone (or any book) telling me what to eat. I prefer to eat whole foods that aren't processed and get plenty of exercise. I'm fairly certain that our ancestors stayed in shape by walking around a lot and eating whatever they wanted. The key is, the food you eat has to be non-processed because I'm fairly certain that our ancestors didn't find Oreos and Twinkies just lying around or hanging from trees.

Derek

I didn't realize the odds were so stacked against me! It should be obvious to me though, since my body weight has gone up and down a few times in my life.

I am so determined to lose weight and stay at a healthier weight this time, and, yes, a diet is my catalyst. However, I do realize that I must make permanent changes in my life.

When I get to my goal, I will still eat planned meals six days a week. I will be looking at that pyramid to make sure I am getting the right foods. The seventh day will be an opportunity for me to enjoy less healthy foods, so I will not feel deprived.

I have also come to the realization that exercise will be a permanent part of my life, and that is a great thing! I'll be able to hike, bike, and more without worry of getting out of breath, being in pain, or worse. I look forward to my new life!

If you follow the simple formula of eat less, burn more, a diet is almost certainly necessary to make a change in your body. In order to lose weight, there has to be a deficit in calories, and, to me, that is a diet. You just have to realize that the diet is just one part of the transformation.

65.5 pounds and going!

Leslie

AAMEN!!1

Rick Kaselj

It is too bad that so many people go on diets compared to focusing on living an active lifestyle.

Rick Kaselj
www.HealingThroughMovement.com

Safa Sheehan

You offer great information. My backgound is in nutrition and I couldn't agree more with what you said.

Antonio

Rick - so true.
Derek - eat less and burn more is a disaster for some. Most people are simply not eating enough to begin with and over doing it with exercise.

Instead of looking at diets and dieters, we should be looking at healthy people and what they do and how they think. The success stories of those that have lost weight and kept it off for years is more important than any research on particular diet plans.

Eating is only one component of a healthy lifestyle. Anyone who wants to lose weight should also address mindset, sleep, water, exercise, relationships and fun.

Antonio
www.healthyurbankitchen.com

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