Yoyo dieting

Yo-Yo dieting – where you lose lots of weight, then pile it all back on again, plus a bit more, when you finish the diet – is a common phenomenon. If it hasn’t happened to you, then you’re bound to know someone who is a yo-yo dieter. Whilst some people claim it’s all due to poor self control, scientists have made a new discovery that could put an end to yo-yo dieting.

Researchers from eight European countries analysed the blood of a group of dieters who’d lost weight. Half of them successfully kept the weight off, or lost even more, whilst others regained the weight they’d lost.

The blood tests found an important link between a gene involved in regulating blood pressure and post-diet weight gain. The women who regained their lost weight had a higher change in the concentration of the protein – called angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE).

It’s still unclear exactly how the protein affects dieters, but it may be involved in interfering with the hormones that control how full people feel and by making the body store extra fat and water.

Up to 80% of dieters are prone to piling the pounds back on so, although this is the first time the link has been discovered, it could be a very important discovery.

More work now needs to be done, to understand the link more clearly, but in the future it’s hoped that a blood test could be developed to see who is more prone to yo-yo dieting.

We all know how hard it is to lose the pounds in the first place and it can be frustrating and demoralising to then put that weight back on. It’s not unusual to end up feeling like a failure when your pounds reappear, especially when other people seem to find it easier to keep the weight off.

The research sounds really interesting and I hope it could eventually offer help to a generation of women dieters.