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Repeatedly losing weight and then regaining it is not as bad for the body as it had been thought, a study has found.
So-called yo-yo dieting has long been considered a health risk – and in some cases has been labelled as more harmful than remaining overweight.
Previous studies have linked the phenomenon to loss of muscle, as well as a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease.
However, research published by scientists at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark has now concluded that these harms are significantly overblown.
One reason for this, researchers argue, is that many of the studies looking at the effects of yo-yo dieting have failed to distinguish between weight loss caused by dieting and that triggered by ill health, such as cancer.
They found that while many of the health benefits of weight loss disappear when weight is regained, this does not mean individuals are less healthy than before the weight loss.
Experts argue the findings show that patients should not be put off from trying to lose weight for fear of putting it back on again.
Two-thirds of British adults are either overweight or obese – and many have repeatedly failed to lose weight.
Scientists have concluded that the harms of so-called yo-yo diets ‘are significantly overblown’ (stock image)
Research suggests that more than half fail to keep weight off after dieting.
The average Briton will start and fail 189 diets in their lifetime, according to a 2018 survey.
In recent years, experts have raised concerns that weight-loss injections such as Wegovy could lead to yo-yo dieting – as they are effective only while patients are taking them.
Two-thirds of those who come off the jabs will put all or more of the weight back on, studies have found.
However, the researchers behind the latest study, which was published in The Lancet, say it is still worth trying to lose weight.
‘Many people refrain from trying to lose weight because they fear that subsequent weight regain may harm the body,’ says Professor Faidon Magkos, a nutrition expert at the University of Copenhagen.
‘Our review indicates that these concerns are largely unfounded.
‘In most cases, the benefits of weight loss outweigh the potential risks of later weight regain.’
