What is yo-yo dieting and how is it harmful?

While no dieting is entirely favorable to health, there are bigger and more serious issues connected with yo-yo dieting.

Yo-yo dieting is the type of dieting which takes place in a cyclic pattern. You first lose weight up to 10 pounds and then gain the weight within a year. Dieticians and doctors, however, say that a stable, slightly overweight is better than the fluctuating weight, anytime. It is because the fluctuating weight techniques such as yo-yo dieting increase the heart risks.

(Courtesy: YouTube)

Arecent study done with 485 women in New York (the study was done in the Columbia University, New York by the Assistant Professor Brooke Aggarwal) and the earlier one which involved men, suggests that both the genders are likely to get affected by the health risks of yo-yo dieting.

The health risks which are due to the adverse effects of yo-yo dieting are as follows:

• Each time a person regains weight, his/her risk to cardiovascular diseases is increased.

• These cardiovascular risks include blood pressure, heart rate, insulin resistance, and cholesterol.

• It also contributes in increasing the muscle mass and reducing body fat. This is more likely to happen in the vital organs.

• 82% of people practicing the yo-yo diet are devoid of optimal bodies and 65% are devoid of optimal cardiovascular health.

The study done by Professor Brooke Aggarwal also tells about some of the solutions.

For example, a healthy diet and decrease such kind of risks to take a toll on your health. Exercise also helps. You need to make the nutritious food the main component of your diet permanently and avoid a fad diet.