is the pursuit of weight-loss harmless?

The pursuit of weight-loss involves dieting in most cases, some sort of rules involving when, what or how much to eat (or not eat). Most people are quite aware of the premise that diets don’t work but it is still difficult to believe that all of those before and after photos and testimonials stating the short term weight-loss success stories, are  inaccurately representing the reality of weight-loss success. But, more worryingly they do not paint the full picture with regard to the negative impacts on the dieters well-being. Research shows clearly that not only is dieting a fruitless exercise in most cases, but it can be harmful to the persons mental, social and physical health.

Dieting is the very definition of paradoxical. For, when someone is dieting in a desperate attempt to lose weight or to gain those inaccurately portrayed health benefits, the paradox is that it will not only likely lead to weight gain, but also poor health outcomes.
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Dieting is often the antithesis of a healthy behaviour. Heres why:

• Dieting causes weight-cycling - people will diet --> lose weight --> regain weight (plus some) --> diet again --> lose weight again --> regain weight again (plus some again). This yo-yo-dieting and weight-cycling has been shown to be more dangerous to health (risk of heart disease, insulin resistance, diabetes, general inflammation in the body and mental health conditions) than staying at a stable weight, even if that weight is above the ‘healthy’ weight range!! True!
• Dieting significantly increases your risk of undertaking disordered eating patterns - never healthy, and in many cases can spiral down into a full blown eating disorder (which is more dangerous than most other mental health concerns). In fact, 35% of dieters will progress into disordered eating and 30-45% of dieters will progress into a full eating disorder.
• Dieting often result in nutrient deficiencies and the possibilities of a myriad of long term-health consequences of that! You might not notice or be thinking of them at the time, but they will come to bite you on the bum- sometimes literally, with an increased risk of constipation or colorectal cancer if food groups such as grains are cut out and insufficient fibre is eaten as a result....
• Dieting often results in poorer body image and self-confidence
• Dieters are more likely to suffer anxiety and depression
• There will no doubt be muscle loss (sigh). This brings with it strength loss and a drop in metablolism (one contributor to weight regain). With each weight loss and re-gain people regain less muscle and more fat (mostly around the middle). Muscle is very hard to regain as we get older and any loss can negatively impact our functionality as we age
• Diets and food rules disconnect you from the awareness of and ability to eat according to your internal signs of hunger and fullness. You become a less intuitive eater and rely on external ways of regulating your intake such as meal plans, diet rules and calorie counting etc. 

The pursuit of weight loss is not only futile, it is destructive for your relationship with food, your body image and self-worth, detrimental to your mental well-being and perpetuates weight-cycling which has negative implications for your physical health. No one sets out on a diet with the intention or even expectation that it will manifest into something more pathological. But it does in so many cases. 
Importantly there is a better way to pursue healthy eating and an improved overall physical and mental well-being! Its called intuitive eating. Moving away from dieting dieting allows you to have a focus on eating in a way that nourishes your body, promotes health, is sustainable and enjoyable too (the opposite to dieting). Learning to eat more intuitively has shown to have many health benefits compared to restricting, dieting and relying on external cues to eat.
You can book a free inquiry call if you would like to find out more about how I can help you become a more intutive eater.

​Alysha