Dec 03, 2022 09:00:00

Why is the weight I lost by dieting desperately returning to the original again? Is diet meaningless if you want to rebound?

It takes a lot of effort to go on a diet and lose weight, but some people have had the experience of rebounding and regaining weight. Dr.

Amy Ahern , principal investigator of the University of Cambridge MRC Epidemiology Unit , explains why it is easy to rebound even if you diet and how to avoid rebound.

Weight loss treatments are not a permanent fix – that doesn't mean they 'don't work'
https://theconversation.com/weight-loss-treatments-are-not-a-permanent-fix-that-doesnt-mean-they-dont-work-192124

Dr. Ahern points out that the popular claim that ``most diets don't work'' is wrong, and that losing weight is relatively easy. 'The problem is, when you stop dieting or stop taking weight loss drugs, the weight comes back,' he says.

An important point, Ahern argues, is that 'dieting doesn't make sense if you lose weight eventually.' A 2022 study that re-weighed participants five years after participating in a 12-week or one-year diet program found that participants did gain more weight on average than at the end of the diet, but compared to before starting the diet. An average weight loss of 2 kg was found to be sustained over time.

Being underweight for even a short period of time can reduce your lifetime risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and other weight-related ailments, so dieting makes sense, even if you later rebound.

Because of the tendency to see being overweight as 'self-responsibility', weight rebound can be demotivating for you and those who support you. However, Ahern points out that rebounding after a diet is not the sole responsibility of the individual, but that there are various factors that cause rebound.

The first is that the brain does not like to lose weight. Your brain associates weight loss with decreased viability, so as you lose weight, your metabolic rate slows down, burning fewer calories and making you more efficient. Therefore, even if the weight is the same, the body is more efficient in the latter between ``people who have the same weight all the time'' and ``people who have just lost this weight on a diet'', so the diet to maintain the same weight The amount will be less.

Involved in this process is the hormone

leptin , which is produced by fat cells and is involved in regulating appetite and metabolism. Less fat means less leptin is sent to the brain, which puts the body into an efficient mode, but if enough leptin is artificially administered to trick the brain, the rebound-promoting effect is reduced. There is a research result that it was done. Although no treatment with leptin has yet been developed, there may be progress in this area in the future.

In addition to biological factors, there are also psychological, social, environmental, and economic factors that predispose people to obesity. For example, people who eat cheap, energy-dense junk food more frequently for economic reasons are more likely to become obese than those who have more access to healthy diets. Social relationships, daily stress, and the surrounding environment where you live and work all affect what you eat.

These non-biological factors are not resolved during a diet program, so efforts must be continued to maintain weight after the program ends. This is one of the reasons why people who were originally obese are likely to rebound even if they succeed in losing weight.

Ahern pointed out that obesity is chronically relapsing and requires lifelong treatment and support to maintain weight loss. “It is unrealistic to expect a one-time intervention to lead to permanent weight loss. Ultimately, chronic illness requires ongoing treatment.'

Furthermore, in response to the general public view that ``obesity is a simple problem that can be avoided simply by eating less and exercising more,'' Ahern said, ``Obese people are bad people, lazy, and have no morals. No. They are fighting both their bodies and the environment. Obesity is not an option.'