RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — It’s something you might hear about a lot… people losing weight on a diet, and suddenly gaining it back.
A new study at North Carolina State University looks into why this happens, and what you should do instead.
Researchers focused the study on “weight cycling” – a continuous gain and loss of weight.
“It’s a drastic 11 pounds or more within a few months,” said Mary Obiol, an undergraduate researcher with the study.
The study used data from 36 men and women who participated.
Diets to avoid
According to the study’s findings, people should think twice before going on a diet – because some don’t last, or could be harmful.
“Fad diets, doing fasting, things like keto, counting calories to an obsessive amount was really, really harmful to this group of people,” Obiol explained. “We found that really none of our participants were able to stop this behavior once it got really toxic for them.”
Obiol says some people described these diets as an addiction.
”Overall we found just unhappiness with their weight and it just continued to get worse as they dieted more and more,” she said.