Yo-yo dieting ‘does not lead to early death’

While many people end up yo-yo dieting as they seek to lose weight, this method of weight loss has always been thought to be extremely unhealthy.

However, new research shows that while yo-yo dieting is bad for you, it is unlikely to lead to an early death.

Participants were asked about how often they had intentionally lost ten or more pounds and later regained the weight, with a total of 42 per cent of men and almost 57 per cent of women admitting they had done so at one or more times in their life.

Among women whose weight yo-yoed 20 times or more during their life, 16 per cent died during the study's 16-year follow up period, according to findings published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

This compared to 15 per cent of those who said their weight never fluctuated in this way due to dieting.

However, participants who yo-yo dieted the most were more likely to be heavy ten years before the beginning of the study, which could elevate their risk of mortality.

Are you prone to yo-yo dieting?