Yo-yo Dieting Consequences

Yo-yo Dieting Consequences: Overview

Alternative names: Weight cycling

Yo-yo dieting is the repeated cycle of weight loss through dieting, followed by the regaining of that weight.

Diagnose your symptoms now!
  • understand what's happening to your body
  • see your health summarized and in detail
  • let The Analyst™ find what's wrong

Yo-yo dieters often take calorie restriction to extremes (under 600 calories a day), leading to considerable weight loss and, therefore, "success".  As the diet continues, however, depression, fatigue and other negative effects set in, making the diet impossible to sustain for most people.  The dieter usually reverts to their old eating habits, often consuming more than they did before the diet and thus regaining all the weight they lost.  The dieter then wishes to lose the regained weight, and the cycle repeats.

Causes and Development

When food is restricted, the body reduces energy expenditure as part of its 'starvation response'.  When food once again becomes available, the body is still in 'energy conservation mode' and works hard to replenish its energy stores, leading to rapid 'catch up' weight gain in the form of fat.

Treatment and Prevention

A better approach to dieting is to slowly and consistently lose weight over a long period of time, not losing more than 1 or 2 pounds (0.5 to 1kg) a week.

In order to reverse existing damage from yo-yo dieting:

  1. consume more protein
  2. do strength training
  3. support your liver because it's important for fat burning.

Prognosis; Complications

The American Psychological Association reviewed 31 diet studies and found that, after 2 years of dieting, almost one-third of dieters weighed more than they did before they began the diet.

When the body doesn't have the necessary calories to function at full capacity, this can lead to limited brain function, tiredness, fatigue and irritability.

Low-calorie diets lead to muscle wasting.  When used as a substitute for proper diet and exercise, yo-yo dieting can lead to the loss of both body fat and muscle mass: weight-bearing exercise is required to maintain muscle.  The repeated loss of muscle mass and subsequent rapid weight gain in the form of fat alters the body's fat-to-muscle ratio, one of the more important health risk factors for the onset of chronic diseases such as coronary artery disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Signs, symptoms & indicators of Yo-yo Dieting Consequences:

Symptoms - Food - General

Concerned or curious about your health?  Try The Analyst™
Symptom Entry
Symptom Entry
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
Suggestions
Suggestions
LifeMeter
LifeMeter®
Full Explanations
Explanations
Optional Doctor Review
Review (optional)

Risk factors for Yo-yo Dieting Consequences:

Symptoms - Food - General

Yo-yo Dieting Consequences can lead to:

Mental

Depression

Prolonged excessive calorie restriction can lead to depression and fatigue.

Report by The Analyst™
Click to see sample report
Health problems rarely occur in isolation or for obvious reasons

Your body is a highly complex, interconnected system.  Instead of guessing at what might be wrong, let us help you discover what is really going on inside your body based on the many clues it is giving.

Our multiple symptom checker provides in-depth health analysis by The Analyst™ with full explanations, recommendations and (optionally) doctors available for case review and answering your specific questions.

KEY

Weak or unproven link: sometimes leads to
Weak or unproven link:
sometimes leads to
Strong or generally accepted link: is often a sign or symptom of; often increases risk of
Strong or generally accepted link:
is often a sign or symptom of; often increases risk of
We use cookies for traffic analysis, advertising, and to provide the best user experience