Some people are concerned that weight cycling can cause more fat to collect
in the abdominal area. People who tend to carry their excess fat in the
abdominal area (apple-shaped), instead of in the hips and buttocks
(pear-shaped), are more likely to develop the health problems associated with
obesity. However, studies have not found that after a weight cycle people have
more abdominal fat than they did before weight cycling.
Is
Weight Cycling Harmful to My Health?
A number of studies have suggested that weight cycling (and weight loss) may
be associated with an increase in mortality. Unfortunately, these studies were
not designed to answer the question of how intentional weight loss by an obese
person affects health. Most of the studies did not distinguish between those who
lost and regained weight through dieting from those whose change in weight may
have been due to other reasons, such as unsuspected illness or stress. In
addition, most of the people followed in these studies were not obese. In fact,
some evidence shows that if weight cycling does have any negative effects on
health, they are seen mostly in people of low or normal weight. Some studies
have looked at the relationship between weight cycling and risk factors for
illness, such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, or high blood
sugar. Most of these studies have not found an association between weight
cycling and harmful changes in risk factors.
Is
Remaining Overweight Healthier Than Weight Cycling?
At this time, no conclusive studies have shown that weight cycling is harmful
to the health of an obese person. On the other hand, the health risks of obesity
are well known. The costs of obesity-related illnesses are more than $39 billion
each year. Obesity is linked to serious medical conditions such as: High blood
pressure, Heart disease, Stroke, Diabetes, Certain types of cancer , Gout, and
Gallbladder disease. Not everyone who is obese has the same risk for these
conditions–a person’s sex, amount of fat, location of fat, and family history
of disease all play a role in determining an individual’s risk of
obesity-related problems. However, experts agree that even a modest weight loss
can improve the health of an obese person.
Conclusions
Further research on the effects of weight cycling is needed. In the meantime,
if you are obese, don’t let fear of weight cycling stop you from achieving a
modest weight loss. Although health problems associated with weight cycling have
not been proven, the health-related problems of obesity are well known.
Preventing
Weight Gain
If you are not obese and have no risk factors for obesity-related illness,
focus on preventing further weight gain by increasing your exercise and eating
healthy foods, rather than trying to lose weight. If you do need to lose weight,
you should be ready to commit to lifelong changes in your eating behaviors,
diet, and physical activity.
Weight Cycling was originally published on blackdoctor.org
