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Yo-yo dieting 'more dangerous than a little extra weight'

Monday, 22 August 2011 5:24 PM

Years of yo-yo dieting puts a strain on the body and some experts believe carrying a little extra weight is actually safer than periods of weight gain and rapid weight loss - despite the health problems associated with even moderate obesity levels.

Will Williams, Scientific Advisor for weight loss company All About Weight, quotes a study by Toronto's York University which tracked the health of more than 6,000 obese adults for an average of 16 years.

It found that being 'moderately obese' is no detriment to health.

“We should not assume that overweight people are unhealthy without looking at their other lifestyle factors,” he said. “Some people are genetically made to carry more fat and they can do so without it damaging their health, as long as they keep a healthy diet and lifestyle. It’s being unfit that’s the biggest danger.”

Obesity is a known risk factor for a raft of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease and even some cancers.

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The study commissioned by diet aid manufacturer Slimsticks, also discovered that a worrying one in five people have followed an ‘eating is cheating’ starvation diet and one in ten have tried a liquid diet.

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