Do Diets Work?

Diets build a restrictive, regulating connection with food. Those who try to maintain their weight through restriction and deprivation often realize that certain tactics may worsen a weight problem. Let us discuss why do diets fail? And successful ways to weight loss.

MRINAL WALIA
5 min readJul 13, 2021

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@Sam Moqadam from Unsplash

In the US, over a third of the population is considered not just overweight but obese. Countless people believe the solution is to go on a diet — but it’s not that easy. Report after report suggests that dieting doesn’t work. When people diet to lose weight, they commonly put it back on (and more). Only 5% of dieters successfully stay at their new slimmer weight.

Researchers at UCLA in 2019 concluded that “Diets Are Not the Answer” in a report about effective obesity treatments. They found that:

“Researches reveal that one third to two-thirds of dieters regain added weight than they lost on their diets.”

“There is limited help for the thought that diets direct to permanent weight loss or wellness benefits.”

The UCLA researchers concluded: It seems that dieters who succeed in maintaining a weight loss are the occasional exception moderately than the rule. Dieters who gain back added weight than they dropped may very well be the average rather than an unfortunate minority.

Why Do Diets Fail?

Diets make us feel hungry and deprived.

@Sander Dalhuisen from Unsplash

If you cut your calorie intake significantly, you’re bound to be hungry. It can lead to cravings for the foods you’re trying to avoid — high-fat, high-sugar products. And the human mind tends to react badly to any foods being forbidden. Telling yourself that you’re not allowed chocolate may lead you to a binge.

Diets are a short-term solution to a long-term problem.

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MRINAL WALIA

I am a professional Python Developer specializing in Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Computer Vision with a hobby of writing blogs and articles.