Is sustained weight-loss, by dieting, possible?

Many people who lose weight by dieting, find that they later gain it back. In some cases, ultimately reaching a weight greater than before the diet.

Commonly, this is attributed to the dieter returning to their pre-diet eating habits.

The item linked below paints a more complex picture:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/opinion/sunday/why-you-cant-lose-weight-on-a-diet.html?_r=0 / yoyo dieting yo-yo dieting dropping 129 pounds The Biggest Loser a new study reports participants burning about 500 fewer calories a day other people their age and size helps explain regained 70 percent of their lost weight diet industry reacted defensively participants lost weight too fast ate the wrong kinds of food diets do work study research in the long run dieting is rarely effective doesn’t reliably improve health does more harm than good problem neuroscience metabolic suppression several powerful tools brain uses keep the body within a certain weight range set point range varies from person to person determined by genes and life experience dieters’ weight drops burn fewer calories produce more hunger-inducing hormones find eating more rewarding brain’s weight-regulation system your set point correct weight for you 120 pounds drops to 80 starvation state of emergency get that weight back up to normal diets down Biggest Loser participants coordinated brain response dieters weight loss hard to achieve maintain severe obesity normal weight range severely obese women gaining the weight back over the next five years diet industry weight loss rarely sustained diet achieve permanent weight loss Biggest Loser diet plan previous study metabolic suppression had lost weight and kept it off for up to six years weight is lost slowly or quickly later regain different approaches diet plans provide the same calories different types of food similar weight loss and regain neuroscientist brain’s ability to fight weight loss experience my normal weight my goal maintaining that weight started gaining long-term studies dieters non-dieters obese men and women across ethnic groups childhood through middle age normal weight range female dieters experts argue dieting long-term weight gain genetically prone to gain weight more likely to diet test study researchers twins aged 16 to 25 dieters were more likely to gain weight non-dieting identical twins increase weight gain accounting for genetic background difference in weight gain fraternal twins dieters higher genetic tendency to gain weight study diet increased the odds of becoming overweight men women diets study likely to become overweight causal relationship diets weight gain tested by studying people external motivation lose weight boxers and wrestlers diet qualify for their weight classes genetic predisposition toward obesity 2006 study elite athletes weight-conscious sports three times more likely to be obese competed in other sports test rigorously researchers program weight randomized trial eBody Project online program to fight eating disorders less dieting prevented future weight gain program weight remain stable over the next two years peers intervention gained a few pounds dieting lead to weight gain dieting is stressful calorie restriction produces stress hormones act on fat cells increase the amount of abdominal fat fat is associated with medical problems diabetes heart disease overall weight weight anxiety dieting binge eating weight gain dieters early adolescence become overweight study adolescent girls who dieted frequently non-dieters binge repeated dieting research predict graduate school stress binge eating carton of ice cream box of saltines with butter urge to keep eating intense made myself sick stress out of control binge eating common mammalian response to starvation understand about weight regulation studies of rodents whose eating habits resemble ours mice and rats tasty food plentiful gain different amounts of weight genes that influence weight in people similar effects in mice stress rodents eat more sweet and fatty foods both laboratory and wild rodents have become fatter over the past few decades laboratory rodents learn to binge when deprivation alternates with tasty food dieters rats develop binge eating five days of food restriction followed by two days of free access to Oreos brief stressor eat almost twice as much stressor diets restricted binge on regular chow repeated food deprivation changes dopamine neurotransmitters in the brain govern how animals respond to rewards increases motivation seek out and eat food animals binge brain changes can last long after the diet is over dieting reduces influence brain’s weight-regulation system rules hunger to control eating modern environment marketers advertising supersizing all-you-can-eat buffet long-term dieters eat for emotional reasons because food is available dieters ignored their hunger exhaust their willpower leading to weight gain difficulty of long-term weight loss dieting health problems obesity heart disease diabetes our culture obesity uniquely deadly low fitness smoking high blood pressure low income loneliness better predictors early death obesity exercise study low fitness deaths obesity accounts fitness exercise reduces abdominal fat improves health weight loss overweight people exercising calorie restriction evidence dieting improves health sustain weight loss for years 2013 study obese overweight people diabetes dieters maintained 6 percent weight loss dieters heart attacks strokes deaths from heart disease control group researchers intentional weight loss no effect on mortality overweight diabetics followed for 19 years diets improve cholesterol blood sugar other health markers short term gains may changes in behavior like exercising eating more vegetables obese people exercise eat enough vegetables don’t smoke die young normal-weight people meta-analysis results of multiple studies health improvements dieters amount of weight they lose diet dieting mindful eating paying attention signals of hunger and fullness judgment relearn eat brain’s weight regulation weight-regulation system commands chronic dieters eat when they’re hungry stop when they’re full less likely to become overweight more stable weight over time spend less time thinking about food mindful eating people with eating disorders binge eating learn to eat normally individual’s set point mindful eating reduce weight powerful tool maintain weight stability deprivation dieting happier dieting daily habits exercise meditation enjoy food worrying about it less /