A fascinating new study suggests that yo-yo dieting, often viewed negatively, may actually offer significant health benefits. This phenomenon, known as weight cycling, involves losing weight through dieting only to regain it later, and has previously been linked to increased risks of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
However, research published in the journal BMC Medicine reveals that yo-yo dieting can lead to long-term health improvements, particularly by reducing harmful abdominal fat, also referred to as visceral fat. Dubbed “the largest long-term MRI-based repeated weight-loss trial,” this study demonstrates that every attempt at weight loss can enhance overall well-being.
Professor Iris Shai, the principal investigator of the study, emphasizes that this research shifts the traditional perspective on weight loss, moving beyond merely focusing on the numbers on the scale. She states, “Persistent commitment to a healthy dietary change creates cardio-metabolic memory in the body.”
Shai further explains that even when individuals seem to ‘fail’ by regaining weight after a diet, their ongoing efforts can still lead to significant and lasting health benefits, particularly by reducing harmful visceral fat. Hadar Klein, a doctoral student at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the lead author of the study, elaborates that body weight alone does not fully reflect changes in visceral fat or metabolic health indicators. “Even when weight is regained, cardio-metabolic health may remain improved, and success should not be defined solely by the number on the scale,” Klein notes.
The study involved a follow-up with participants five and ten years after their participation in two consecutive randomized controlled dietary trials, each lasting 18 months and including around 300 participants. These trials focused on a Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity and compared the outcomes against control diets, utilizing detailed MRI scans before and after each intervention.
Surprisingly, the researchers found that participants who had regained weight before entering the second intervention exhibited a more favorable abdominal fat profile and improved metabolic markers, showing improvements of about 15% to 25% compared to their initial levels. This included better insulin sensitivity and an enhanced lipid profile.
The findings suggest that a positive “cardiometabolic memory” can be created from previous interventions, remaining even after weight is regained. Notably, participants who returned to the weight-loss program lost less weight during the second round yet still achieved better long-term health outcomes.
In conclusion, this study offers an uplifting perspective on yo-yo dieting, highlighting the potential for cumulative health benefits that can arise from repeated attempts at weight loss, encouraging individuals to persist in their healthy lifestyle choices.
