Many dieters 'finish up heavier'

Dieting is unlikely to lead to long-term weight loss and may put a person's health at risk, a study says. US researchers found people typically lose between 5% and 10% of their weight during the first six months of a diet. But the review of 31 previous studies, by the University of California, said up to two-thirds put more weight on than they had lost within five years. Repeatedly losing and gaining weight is linked to heart disease and stroke, the American Psychologist journal reported.

Lead researcher Traci Mann said: "We found that the majority of people regained all the weight, plus more. "Diets do not lead to sustained weight loss or health benefits for the majority of people. The study did not name any diets in particular, but looked at a broad spectrum of approaches. Professor Mann said in her opinion eating in moderation was a good idea for everybody as was regular exercise. Dr Ian Campbell, medical director of Weight Concern, said too many people approached dieting as a short-term measure. "Keeping weight off is a life-long challenge. It is just like heart disease or mental health problems, if you stop taking your medicine you can get worse. "People who are overweight often don't have a balanced lifestyle and after losing weight too many stop keeping active or eating healthily."

Bonnie - this is good to see. Public Health professionals are finally realizing that changing your dietary lifestyle is not a short-term solution. As long as I have been a health professional, I have been a major detractor of crash/fad diets. "Rome wasn't built in a day" is something I say very often!