Nov. 29 (UPI) — Yo-yo dieting can increase the risk of death, according to a new study.
For the study, published Thursday in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, researchers at Seoul National University followed 3,700 people for 16 years.
They found that weight cycling did make people with obesity have a lower chance of developing diabetes, but they also found a downside to the practice.
The loss of weight usually brings on a reduction of energy during exercise and during daily activities. The researchers say this, along with increased hunger, produces a “perfect metabolic storm” for dieters to regain weight.
Some experts actually estimate that 80 percent of dieters regain their weight.
Weight cycling among people with coronary heart disease can even lead to a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and mortality, according to a 2017 study.
“This study shows that weight cycling can heighten a person’s risk of death,” Hak C. Jang, study lead author and a professor at the Seoul National University College of Medicine, said in a press release.
