You pack on some serious pounds, then work hard to drop the weight — but then put it all back on again. Aside from being incredibly frustrating for the individual, experts are now warning that these dramatic fluctuations in weight are linked to a slew of negative side effects — including an increased risk of death.
The new study was published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Researchers investigated the health risks of yo-yo dieting by examining the results from the 3,600 men and women who participated in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. They found that dramatic weight swings was associated with higher risk of mortality.
One exception to this study is for obese individuals who crash diet and experience weight loss. Those people were found to be less likely to develop type-2 diabetes over time. However, perfectly healthy people who quickly lose and gain weight, were at a serious risk of earlier death than those who did not.
Previous studies have reported similar findings. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that frequent yo-yo dieters experienced more strokes and cardiovascular problems than those who maintained a relatively steady weight.
Also see: Organic foods reduce your risk of certain cancers.
