• Pressure to diet and striving for unrealistic goal weights may lead women to use ineffective, potentially dangerous weight control methods and result in weight cycling as well. One study obtained the following results:¹
• Women who repeatedly regained weight reported consuming fewer calories, yet had higher BMIs and greater body dissatisfaction than did weight stable dieters or non-dieters.
• The weight cycling women used more dieting methods, and more questionable methods including: Slim Fast, fasting/starving, smoking, vomiting, and taking diet pills, laxatives, or diuretics.
• Most of these women perceived themselves as too big even though only 14% met the study's definition for over weight.
• Studies that sort out the role of independent variables within the complex weight cycling process and provide solid evidence of causal relationships may be impossible to complete.²
• Weight cycling is the center of considerable scientific debate and the related literature includes both positive and negative results.
• Preliminary animal studies point to the evidence of health risk when weight is not stable.³
• In some studies weight cycling was associated with increased cardiovascular risk and all-cause mortality.^4,5
• There is evidence that dieting, if followed by return to initial weight levels, results in lower metabolic rates and inability to listen to internal satiety signals.
• Subsequent weight loss may then be more difficult while weight gain becomes easier.
• Therefore, dieting may lead to increasing weight for some individuals.^6,7,8,9
• Weight cycling may adversely affect psychological health as well.
• It has been shown that weight stability regardless of actual BMI is associated with greater psychological well-being than weight change.¹⁰
• Weight cycling has also been associated with increased depression and lowered self-esteem.^11,12
• In one study, weight instability or cycling was positively associated with increased mood deterioration even though initial weight loss was significantly associated with increased self-confidence and elevated mood.¹³
 Weight cycling appears to affect energy metabolism, may result in faster regaining of weight, and may also have adverse psychological and physical effects. ¹⁴
 
 

 Back to Unit 3 A: The Failures of The Old Paradigm

© Fall 2001