What are the Effects of Yoyo Dieting on Metabolism: Cyclical Loss and Gain of Weight

Yo yo dieting is dieting like an yo yo, meaning cyclical loss and gain of weight. This type of dieting is like up and down movement of yo-yo. In this type of dieting a person looses weight initially but regains the weight as the dieter is not successful in maintaining the loss for long period of time and ultimately he begins to gain weight.

The dieter than again seeks ways to lose weight and the cycle repeats again. This type of crash dieting actually consists of extreme food deprivation and exercise. In doing so, the body is deprived of the essential calories and vitamins, proteins and other nutrients. Although the results of yo yo dieting can vary from person to person, one thing all researchers agree is that yo yo dieting can slow down your metabolism which afterwards becomes a cause for weight gain. Usually this is because a person following yo yo dieting starts to feel hungrier accompanying weight loss. Hence before you plan following yo yo dieting, you must be conversant with its side effects.

Effects of Yo Yo Dieting on Metabolism:

According to experts, crash dieting or yo yo dieting slows down the metabolic activity in the body.

The brain thinks that the body is starving and hence the body must slow down burning calories. Due to this the metabolism becomes slow as a result a person’s effort of losing weight is not accomplished. The basal metabolic rate is slowed down. It increases level of leptin in the body. A time comes when the body becomes leptin resistant. Leptin is a hormone that regulates energy level and inhibits hunger center. When there is leptin resistance, there is increase in hunger and slow down of metabolic activity in the body. Acutally any type of exercise during this period of yo yo dieting can increase fatigue the body.

Because of slow down of the metabolism in yo yo dieting, it is very difficult for the visceral fat to melt down. Visceral fat is the fat that gets accumulated in the abdominal area.  Visceral fat is metabolized by the liver but since the metabolic activity is less the fat metabolized in the form of cholesterol circulates in the blood in high amount. High cholesterol level can thus block the arteries or narrow them increasing the risk of angina and heart disease. Increase in visceral fat also increases risk of type 2 diabetes.

Yo yo dieting also increases the risk of inflammation in the body. This can have its effect on various organs of the body including heart. According to researchers weight cycling increases the risk of hypertension, heart attacks and stroke. In fact it is said that weight cycling or yo yo dieting can make the person sick more than his or her desire to become skinny.