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Date: April 3, 2007
Contact: Stuart Wolpert ( swolpert@support.ucla.edu )
Phone: 310-206-0511
Dieting Does Not Work, UCLA Researchers Report
Will you lose weight and keep it off if you diet? No, probably not, UCLA researchers report in the April issue of American Psychologist, the journal of the American Psychological Association.
"You can initially lose 5 to 10 percent of your weight on any number of diets, but then the weight comes back," said Traci Mann, UCLA associate professor of psychology and lead author of the study. "We found that the majority of people regained all the weight, plus more. Sustained weight loss was found only in a small minority of participants, while complete weight regain was found in the majority. Diets do not lead to sustained weight loss or health benefits for the majority of people."
Mann and her co-authors conducted the most comprehensive and rigorous analysis of diet studies, analyzing 31 long-term studies.
"What happens to people on diets in the long run?" Mann asked. "Would they have been better off to not go on a diet at all? We decided to dig up and analyze every study that followed people on diets for two to five years. We concluded most of them would have been better off not going on the diet at all. Their weight would be pretty much the same, and their bodies would not suffer the wear and tear from losing weight and gaining it all back."
People on diets typically lose 5 to 10 percent of their starting weight in the first six months, the researchers found. However, at least one-third to two-thirds of people on diets regain more weight than they lost within four or five years, and the true number may well be significantly higher, they said.
"Although the findings reported give a bleak picture of the effectiveness of diets, there are reasons why the actual effectiveness of diets is even worse," Mann said.
Mann said that certain factors biased the diet studies to make them appear more effective than they really were. For one, many participants self-reported their weight by phone or mail rather than having their weight measured on a scale by an impartial source. Also, the studies have very low follow-up rates — eight of the studies had follow-up rates lower than 50 percent, and those who responded may not have been representative of the entire group, since people who gain back large amounts of weight are generally unlikely to show up for follow-up tests, Mann said.
"Several studies indicate that dieting is actually a consistent predictor of future weight gain," said Janet Tomiyama, a UCLA graduate student of psychology and co-author of the study. One study found that both men and women who participated in formal weight-loss programs gained significantly more weight over a two-year period than those who had not participated in a weight-loss program, she said.
Another study, which examined a variety of lifestyle factors and their relationship to changes in weight in more than 19,000 healthy older men over a four-year period, found that "one of the best predictors of weight gain over the four years was having lost weight on a diet at some point during the years before the study started," Tomiyama said. In several studies, people in control groups who did not diet were not that much worse off — and in many cases were better off — than those who did diet, she said.
If dieting doesn't work, what does?
"Eating in moderation is a good idea for everybody, and so is regular exercise," Mann said. "That is not what we looked at in this study. Exercise may well be the key factor leading to sustained weight loss. Studies consistently find that people who reported the most exercise also had the most weight loss."
Diet studies of less than two years are too short to show whether dieters have regained the weight they lost, Mann said.
"Even when you follow dieters four years, they're still regaining weight," she said.
One study of dieting obese patients followed them for varying lengths of time. Among those who were followed for fewer than two years, 23 percent gained back more weight than they had lost, while of those who were followed for at least two years, 83 percent gained back more weight than they had lost, Mann said. One study found that 50 percent of dieters weighed more than 11 pounds over their starting weight five years after the diet, she said.
Evidence suggests that repeatedly losing and gaining weight is linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and altered immune function. Mann and Tomiyama recommend that more research be conducted on the health effects of losing and gaining weight, noting that scientists do not fully understand how such weight cycling leads to adverse health effects.
Mann notes that her mother has tried different diets, and has not succeeded in keeping the weight off. "My mother has been on diets and says what we are saying is obvious," she said.
While the researchers analyzed 31 dieting studies, they have not evaluated specific diets.
Medicare raised the issue of whether obesity is an illness, deleting the words "Obesity is not considered an illness" from its coverage regulations in 2004. The move may open the door for Medicare to consider funding treatments for obesity, Mann noted.
"Diets are not effective in treating obesity," said Mann. "We are recommending that Medicare should not fund weight-loss programs as a treatment for obesity. The benefits of dieting are too small and the potential harm is too large for dieting to be recommended as a safe, effective treatment for obesity."
From 1980 to 2000, the percentage of Americans who were obese more than doubled, from 15 percent to 31 percent of the population, Mann noted.
A social psychologist, Mann, taught a UCLA graduate seminar on the psychology of eating four years ago. She and her students continued the research when the course ended. Mann's co-authors are Erika Westling, Ann-Marie Lew, Barbra Samuels and Jason Chatman.
"We asked what evidence is there that dieting works in the long term, and found that the evidence shows the opposite" Tomiyama said.
The research was partially supported by the National Institute of Mental Health.
In future research, Mann is interested in studying whether a combination of diet and exercise is more effective than exercise alone.
UCLA is California's largest university, with an enrollment of nearly 37,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The UCLA College of Letters and Science and the university's 11 professional schools feature renowned faculty and offer more than 300 degree programs and majors. UCLA is a national and international leader in the breadth and quality of its academic, research, health care, cultural, continuing education and athletic programs. Four alumni and five faculty have been awarded the Nobel Prize.
Date: April 3, 2007
Contact: Stuart Wolpert ( swolpert@support.ucla.edu )
Phone: 310-206-0511
Dieting Does Not Work, UCLA Researchers Report
Will you lose weight and keep it off if you diet? No, probably not, UCLA researchers report in the April issue of American Psychologist, the journal of the American Psychological Association.
"You can initially lose 5 to 10 percent of your weight on any number of diets, but then the weight comes back," said Traci Mann, UCLA associate professor of psychology and lead author of the study. "We found that the majority of people regained all the weight, plus more. Sustained weight loss was found only in a small minority of participants, while complete weight regain was found in the majority. Diets do not lead to sustained weight loss or health benefits for the majority of people."
Mann and her co-authors conducted the most comprehensive and rigorous analysis of diet studies, analyzing 31 long-term studies.
"What happens to people on diets in the long run?" Mann asked. "Would they have been better off to not go on a diet at all? We decided to dig up and analyze every study that followed people on diets for two to five years. We concluded most of them would have been better off not going on the diet at all. Their weight would be pretty much the same, and their bodies would not suffer the wear and tear from losing weight and gaining it all back."
People on diets typically lose 5 to 10 percent of their starting weight in the first six months, the researchers found. However, at least one-third to two-thirds of people on diets regain more weight than they lost within four or five years, and the true number may well be significantly higher, they said.
"Although the findings reported give a bleak picture of the effectiveness of diets, there are reasons why the actual effectiveness of diets is even worse," Mann said.
Mann said that certain factors biased the diet studies to make them appear more effective than they really were. For one, many participants self-reported their weight by phone or mail rather than having their weight measured on a scale by an impartial source. Also, the studies have very low follow-up rates — eight of the studies had follow-up rates lower than 50 percent, and those who responded may not have been representative of the entire group, since people who gain back large amounts of weight are generally unlikely to show up for follow-up tests, Mann said.
"Several studies indicate that dieting is actually a consistent predictor of future weight gain," said Janet Tomiyama, a UCLA graduate student of psychology and co-author of the study. One study found that both men and women who participated in formal weight-loss programs gained significantly more weight over a two-year period than those who had not participated in a weight-loss program, she said.
Another study, which examined a variety of lifestyle factors and their relationship to changes in weight in more than 19,000 healthy older men over a four-year period, found that "one of the best predictors of weight gain over the four years was having lost weight on a diet at some point during the years before the study started," Tomiyama said. In several studies, people in control groups who did not diet were not that much worse off — and in many cases were better off — than those who did diet, she said.
If dieting doesn't work, what does?
"Eating in moderation is a good idea for everybody, and so is regular exercise," Mann said. "That is not what we looked at in this study. Exercise may well be the key factor leading to sustained weight loss. Studies consistently find that people who reported the most exercise also had the most weight loss."
Diet studies of less than two years are too short to show whether dieters have regained the weight they lost, Mann said.
"Even when you follow dieters four years, they're still regaining weight," she said.
One study of dieting obese patients followed them for varying lengths of time. Among those who were followed for fewer than two years, 23 percent gained back more weight than they had lost, while of those who were followed for at least two years, 83 percent gained back more weight than they had lost, Mann said. One study found that 50 percent of dieters weighed more than 11 pounds over their starting weight five years after the diet, she said.
Evidence suggests that repeatedly losing and gaining weight is linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and altered immune function. Mann and Tomiyama recommend that more research be conducted on the health effects of losing and gaining weight, noting that scientists do not fully understand how such weight cycling leads to adverse health effects.
Mann notes that her mother has tried different diets, and has not succeeded in keeping the weight off. "My mother has been on diets and says what we are saying is obvious," she said.
While the researchers analyzed 31 dieting studies, they have not evaluated specific diets.
Medicare raised the issue of whether obesity is an illness, deleting the words "Obesity is not considered an illness" from its coverage regulations in 2004. The move may open the door for Medicare to consider funding treatments for obesity, Mann noted.
"Diets are not effective in treating obesity," said Mann. "We are recommending that Medicare should not fund weight-loss programs as a treatment for obesity. The benefits of dieting are too small and the potential harm is too large for dieting to be recommended as a safe, effective treatment for obesity."
From 1980 to 2000, the percentage of Americans who were obese more than doubled, from 15 percent to 31 percent of the population, Mann noted.
A social psychologist, Mann, taught a UCLA graduate seminar on the psychology of eating four years ago. She and her students continued the research when the course ended. Mann's co-authors are Erika Westling, Ann-Marie Lew, Barbra Samuels and Jason Chatman.
"We asked what evidence is there that dieting works in the long term, and found that the evidence shows the opposite" Tomiyama said.
The research was partially supported by the National Institute of Mental Health.
In future research, Mann is interested in studying whether a combination of diet and exercise is more effective than exercise alone.
UCLA is California's largest university, with an enrollment of nearly 37,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The UCLA College of Letters and Science and the university's 11 professional schools feature renowned faculty and offer more than 300 degree programs and majors. UCLA is a national and international leader in the breadth and quality of its academic, research, health care, cultural, continuing education and athletic programs. Four alumni and five faculty have been awarded the Nobel Prize.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-10 02:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-10 02:46 pm (UTC)Eating in moderation is a good idea for everybody
Eating in moderation IS a diet. The problem isn't a "diet", it's the idea that a diet is something that you go on for a while to lose weight, and then you go back to your previous lifestyle.
I fear that many people will read the headline here and decide to just not bother. If "diets" don't work, they'll just keep the weight.
Reminds me of that annoying video everyone was posting to their LJ a week or so ago of the woman claiming that being fat is okay, and that it's just genetic.
Amen
Date: 2007-04-10 03:13 pm (UTC)However, without reading the full report its tough to say one way or another.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-10 03:53 pm (UTC)I've seen friends struggle with weight, and my realization is that it is all about habits. The ones that have had the wost time are the ones that couldn't reconcile a healthier eating methodology, it just wouldn't "compute." A friend of mine was on nutrisystem for a week, lost six pounds, and then gave up. He didn't like the taste or variety of the foods. I think I need to sit down and explain to him that I've been eating the same 6-8 food types for the past two years, and that behavior set is what has allowed me to dial in my weight and athletic performance. (To be clear, he's seen me do this, it is no big shock...)
no subject
Date: 2007-04-10 07:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-10 08:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-10 09:14 pm (UTC)Its one thing to eat in ignorance and grab comfort foods when you are down, its a completely different thing to know that those comfort foods are going to cost you 30 minutes on the treadmill later...
I recently lost 45 pounds (http://stmachiavelli.livejournal.com/983135.html), and while I have a few more to go the biggest thing that helped me and came out of my meetings with doctors, nutritionists, and a personal trainer was simply tracking what I eat each day. Just writing it down was enough to break me of eating when I wanted it rather than when I needed it.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-11 03:28 am (UTC)Well, they didn't know her doctor! Instead of a pill or a shot, he told her to write down everything she ate. She did so, and she lost the weight. She never gained it back, either.
Awareness is a wonderful thing. :-)
no subject
Date: 2007-04-10 04:47 pm (UTC)learning to eat in moderation and turning off whatever crazy pleasure one gets from overeating -- diets can do that. but this sort of article (in what i've read) does nothing to differentiate why those who kept it off did.
i have a feeling it is subtley about mindsets and what feeds body perception. and free dummy.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-10 07:23 pm (UTC)Losing weight is a whole lot easier than people make it out to be. For 95% of people, every stumbling block is a mental one, not a physical one.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-10 07:33 pm (UTC)But our bodies follow certain scientific laws. These laws are, for the most part, understood. If you use more calories than you consume, you *will* lose weight. Some people (and I'm not sure of the percentage) do have certain metabolic issues that cause them to use fewer calories than the average, healthy person, but the laws still apply.
Eat less. Get more active. Don't use excuses like "big bones" or genetics. Simple! But not necessarily easy.
Anyway, thanks for the kind words. And again, congratulations on changing your life. :-)
What will one day be obvious
Date: 2007-04-10 05:17 pm (UTC)It took me 42 years to figure that out.
Now I eat what I want, when I want, with only two modifications: I drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day, and eat 4 to 5 servings of fruits or vegetables. Everything else is purely elective.
The results have not been spectacular by "dieting" standards, but my slow (very slow) and steady (very steady) results have reduced my blood pressure, made me more energetic, optomistic, and even empowered me to make smarter food choices without feeling burdened or manic. I've sworn off diety for four years now, and I'm thirty pounds lighter; pounds that aren't coming back.
Re: What will one day be obvious
Date: 2007-04-10 07:37 pm (UTC)If you've lost weight with this "diet", it's because you reduced your caloric intake. Plain and simple. :-)
BTW, I don't necessarily agree that dieting is an eating disorder, although I do think it often stems from that. When someone is obsessed with their weight and makes bad choices, that should be investigated with the help of a trained professional. I change my diet from time to time, depending on my current goals. When I'm trying to gain strength and muscle, I eat a LOT. Then when I'm trying to lose some of the fat that naturally comes along with muscle gain, I eat much less. Both of these are "diets", but I don't think they involve any kind of eating disorder.
Re: What will one day be obvious
Date: 2007-04-10 07:47 pm (UTC)Obviously, but that was (isn't) my goal, in fact my only goal is satisfaction and stripping away the years of false conditioning that obscured what this feeling is.
I also eat by the axiom "Enjoy what you eat, and eat what you enjoy" and there's no calorie counting (or even particular awarness) in that. So if I feel like eating fetucini alfredo (which I often do) I never "settle" for whole wheat pasta with marinara, I simply have a side of spinach with the alfredo (often with lots of butter!).
The one thing diet-avoidance lets me appreciate is the feeling of being full, and the diminishing return of pleasure once I've achieved that feeling.
Re: What will one day be obvious
Date: 2007-04-11 08:24 pm (UTC)http:http://www.nosdiet.com/
Its similar to yours, in that it is condensed into a few simple rules, and itt rejects both calorie counting (difficult, frustrating and therefor unsustainable) and the "bad food" concept...bad sugar, bad carbs, bad fat. These make you eat like a mutant and are therefore unsustainable. Both of these ideas contain the idea that food is bad bad bad, and must be controlled much as old-time religion tried to control sex (leading to Ted Hagard/Jimmy Swaggart binges).
No-S is summed up in one sentence.
No Snacks, no sweets, no seconds, except for sometimes on Saturdays, Sundays, and Special days.
Thats it. Eat a few meals in reasonable portions and enjoy your food. I've been on it for two and a half weeks. I get hungry all the time, but the hunger is less of a problem when I know that it will be terminated by a delicious meal.
Re: What will one day be obvious
Date: 2007-04-11 08:36 pm (UTC)Re: What will one day be obvious
Date: 2007-04-10 07:49 pm (UTC)Re: What will one day be obvious
Date: 2007-04-10 09:11 pm (UTC)Because there is no money in it if just everyone can do it. So they make it harder than it is, they sell quick loss programs knowing that the weight will come back to ensure future custom, and they don't want you to realize that all you have to do to lose weight is watch what you eat and keep track of what you do.
They want the mysticism because it pays the bills.
Or maybe I'm just a cynic.
Re: What will one day be obvious
Date: 2007-04-11 08:34 pm (UTC)