Experts: Yo-Yo Dieting Better Than Obesity

For years it has been conventional wisdom among nutritionists and health experts that yo-yo dieting was to be avoided. Putting on weight, then losing it on a crash diet, only to gain it back, was hard on the body they said.

While that may be true, researchers at Ohio University say yo-yo dieters may be healthier and live longer than those who stay obese. They base their conclusion on a study of mice.

Mice that switched between a high-fat and low-fat diet every four weeks during their approximate two-year lifespan lived about 25 percent longer and had better blood glucose levels than obese animals that ate a high-fat diet.

The yo-yo dieters also lived about as long as a control group of mice steadily fed a low-fat diet.

Some experts argue that constantly shedding and regaining pounds can be harmful to health. The new research, presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in Boston, suggests, however, that yo-yo dieting is preferable to remaining obese and not dieting at all.

“If the conventional wisdom is true, it would discourage a lot of overweight people from losing weight,” said study lead author Edward List, a scientist at Ohio University’s Edison Biotechnology Institute. “The new research shows that the simple act of gaining and losing weight does not seem detrimental to lifespan.”

About 34 percent of American adults are considered to be obese; an additional 34 percent are classified as overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although millions of Americans diet each year, research has shown that few people maintain long-term weight loss.