Many of us are already underway with strict diets.
But a psychologist has now warned trying to stick to a regime – regardless of what time of the year it is – is a ‘waste of time’.
Dr Aria Campbell-Danesh argues that diets may actually be contributing to Britain’s obesity epidemic.
In a piece for MailOnline, he says that two thirds of dieters regain more weight than they lose when they were cutting out certain foods.
Women are more likely to go on diets than men – investing years and sometimes decades of theirs lives trying to drop their dress size
Why are diets a waste of time?
The majority of dieters report spending most of the year trying to shift the pounds.
Women are more likely to go on diets than men – investing years and sometimes decades of theirs lives trying to drop their dress size.
An increase in weight loss attempts over the past two decades mirrors the rising rates of obesity in the UK.
There is consistent scientific evidence confirming what we all fear deep down: no matter which diet you go on, you will lose weight initially, but it will creep back on in the long run.
Society’s solution to weight gain appears to be ineffective at best and is counterproductive at worst.
Diets are not the solution to the obesity epidemic – they’re part of the problem. One to two thirds of dieters regain more weight than they lose on a diet.
The sooner we wake up to the reality that diets do not work in the long run, the better.
Why are diets harmful?
Research shows that the more diet attempts you make, the more likely you are to gain weight in the future.
Dieting can cause more harm than good, leading to your weight cycling up and down.
This ‘yo-yo effect’ has been implicated in increasing the risk of fat around the abdomen, cardiovascular problems and early death.
Why don’t diets work?
1. Diets are unsustainable
When you start to lose weight, your body responds physiologically by resisting this weight loss. Your metabolism becomes more efficient, essentially running on fewer calories.
In order to maintain weight loss, you therefore have to maintain any changes you’ve made to your eating and exercise.
However, most diets are rigid and unsustainable. On average, weight loss attempts last four weeks for women and six weeks for men.
You may be able to follow a strict diet plan for a month but then you go back to your old eating habits and the weight piles back on.
Since diets are generally based on deprivation and feel like punishment, there’s often a sense of relief that it’s over and people report overeating when the diet comes to an end.
Diets usually demonise a particular food group, such as carbohydrates or fats
2. Diets restrict certain foods
Diets usually demonise a particular food group, such as carbohydrates or fats.
Research shows that banning foods actually backfires, leading to people liking, wanting and eating more of the ‘forbidden’ items.
A study published in the scientific journal Appetite found participants with a tendency to overeat consumed approximately 133 per cent more chocolate when prohibited from eating it for 24 hours.
Depriving yourself of a food is the perfect way to induce a cycle of bingeing, restriction and weight gain.
3. Diets only focus on what you eat
Most diets claim to have the magic ratio of carbs, fats and proteins for weight loss.
However, the latest scientific research suggests that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all solution’: what works for you may not work for your best friend.
What you eat is only part of the picture.
Unless you address the way that you eat, you’ll continually revert to previous habits such as binge eating, continually snacking and eating even when you’re full.
We make around 220 food-related decisions every day, with 94 per cent happening outside of our awareness.
Most people eat mindlessly, while at their desk, scrolling through social media or watching TV.