By Peggy Howell

(This article originally appeared in USNews and World Report Health Blog and was updated on 4/12/21.)

You cannot turn on the television, pick up a paper or magazine, even open your own email without being inundated with ads for someone’s diet product that is just perfect for you! So let me be clear, there are many, many diets, diet pills, diet programs and surgical options on the market today that will help you lose weight. Most of them “work” to one extent or another, unless your goal is to keep the weight off permanently. Oh, permanent weight loss is your goal? Well, most of these products will aid you in successfully shedding pounds. But the problems start when you deviate from your program of choice for any length of time; those pounds you lost will suddenly find you again and they usually bring along a few extra friends. Bottom line, there is no program that results in permanent weight loss. NONE!

Well, at least you keep trying, and that’s a good thing, right? Actually the science says NO; multiple studies indicate that yo-yo dieting (losing/regaining) is more harmful to your health than maintaining a stable weight, even if it is higher.

Making dieters feel that this dieting failure is their fault is one of the best marketing ploys ever developed as it keeps people desperately coming back for more; searching for the latest, greatest, newest, easiest way to shed those gross pounds. That’s how they maintain a multi-billion dollar diet industry!

One big problem is that when we diet we are fighting against our own biology. The body doesn’t know the difference between starving and dieting, all it knows is there is a shortage of food, the body isn’t getting what it needs and it has to do something about that. So when there is a prolonged period of calorie restriction, your body works against your dieting efforts by slowing your metabolism and doing all that it can to keep you from starving to death.

If you are a person with extra body fat, losing weight will not give you the metabolism of a naturally thin person. You will never be able to eat like a naturally thin person who eats whatever they want whenever they want. You will be required to eat less and exercise more simply to maintain your weight loss, the entire time being driven by hunger, that gnawing feeling of never having enough, never being satisfied.

So what should you do? Stop believing the diet industry’s marketing. Stop believing the hype and the lies. We are not all meant to be the same. We come in all sizes; short, tall, thin, fat and everything in between. Learn to accept and celebrate our differences.

Stop buying into the lies that you are not fine just the way you are. Don’t believe the diet and healthcare industry when they tell you they are only concerned about your health. It’s not your health, it's your money that concerns them!

Take the time to consider what you are hungry for and enjoy the best possible food you can. Find an activity that you enjoy, whether it’s walking, swimming, dancing, working out...include that in your life on a regular basis. Focus on the things that matter like family, friends and helping others. The rest will take care of itself! 

Reference:

Medicare's Search for Effective Obesity Treatments - Diets Are Not the Answer

Does dieting make you fat? A twin study

WCIR: Pounds May Creep Back with Low-fat, Low-carb Diets

Weight Change, Weight Fluctuation, and Mortality

Metabolic Slowing with Massive Weight Loss despite Preservation of Fat-Free Mass

Probability of an Obese Person Attaining Normal Body Weight: Cohort Study Using Electronic Health Records

The Weight-Inclusive versus Weight-Normative Approach to Health: Evaluating the Evidence for Prioritizing Well-Being over Weight Loss

 Peggy Howell is the Public Relations Director of NAAFA. In that capacity, she writes NAAFA’s press releases and manages the monthly NAAFA Newsletter. She has also been a volunteer blogger for U.S. News & World Report.

OPINION DISCLAIMER:  Any views or opinions stated in the NAAFA Community Voices Blog are personal and belong solely to the blog author. They do not represent the views or opinions of NAAFA or the people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual.