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A new study indicates that yo-yo dieting might actually be good for you.
Also known as weight cycling, repeatedly losing weight through dieting, only to regain it again—and often more pounds over time—has been criticized in previous research showing it could increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and higher blood pressure.
But a new study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, shows yo-yo dieting confers long-term health benefits by reducing levels of harmful abdominal fat, also known as visceral fat.
Being called “the largest long-term MRI-based repeated weight-loss trial”, the research demonstrates that every weight loss attempt has the potential to improve overall well-being.
Study principal investigator Professor Iris Shai says the research challenges the traditional focus on weight loss as a simple “numbers game”.
“Persistent commitment to a healthy dietary change creates cardio-metabolic memory in the body.
“Repeated participation in a lifestyle program aimed at weight loss, even after an apparent ‘failure’ in which an individual regains all the weight lost in a previous diet, may lead to significant and sustainable health benefits over the years, particularly through the reduction of harmful visceral fat.”
Body weight alone does not capture changes in visceral fat or metabolic biomarkers, explained the lead author, Hadar Klein, a doctoral student at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
“Even when weight is regained, cardio-metabolic health may remain improved, and success should not be defined solely by the number on the scale.”
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“Importantly, even when weight loss is attenuated during a second attempt, the cumulative benefits for abdominal fat and metabolic health are substantial.”
For the study, researchers conducted a follow-up after five and 10 years with participants from two consecutive randomized controlled dietary trials lasting 18 months each, including around 300 participants.
The trials analyzed participants undertaking a Mediterranean diet–based intervention with physical activity, and compared them with control diets, using detailed MRI scans performed before and after each intervention.
Surprisingly, the study found that, although participants entered the second intervention at a body weight similar to that at the start of the first one—indicating full weight regain—their abdominal fat profile and metabolic markers were more favorable.
They showed improvements of around 15% to 25% compared with their initial levels, including enhanced insulin sensitivity and a more favorable lipid profile.
The researchers say their findings point to the existence of a positive “cardiometabolic memory” from prior intervention that persists, even after weight is regained.
The study also showed that, although participants who rejoined the weight-loss program lost less weight during the second intervention, they maintained better long-term health outcomes.
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“Five years after completing the second intervention, these participants showed less weight regain and less accumulation of abdominal fat compared with participants who had engaged in a weight-loss program only once,” said Prof. Shai.
The team collaborated with researchers from Harvard’s Department of Nutrition, the University Hospital Leipzig in Germany, and the School of Public Health at Tulane University in New Orleans.
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