Jeffrey Salazar
Whether dieting makes people fatter has been a subject of debate for the past 30 years. Several studies have suggested that dieting to lose weight is associated with future weight gain, especially in people who are already in the healthy normal range of body weight. This phenomenon, known as \fat overshooting\, is thought to be due to the body's autoregulation of body composition during weight recovery. The high prevalence of dieting and weight cycling in young adults, adolescents, and even children who perceive themselves as overweight due to societal pressures may be contributing to the obesity epidemic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Weight regain | One-third to two-thirds of the weight lost is regained within 1 year and almost all is regained within 5 years |
| Weight cycling | Repeated cycles of weight loss and weight regain, with the potential for increased cardiovascular risks |
| Dieting and weight gain | Dieting to lose weight in people with a healthy normal range of body weight, rather than in those who are overweight or obese, is a predictor of future weight gain |
| Muscle mass loss | Lean individuals are at risk of losing muscle mass alongside fat mass |
| Bone density | Reducing the mass of bones decreases bone density and can make you more prone to injury |
| Metabolism | Starving to lose weight changes the metabolism |
| Body composition | Focusing on body composition, as opposed to fat loss, can help improve your overall appearance and reduce body fat while increasing strength |
| Fat overshooting | Lean dieters are at greater risk for fat overshooting than obese dieters |
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What You'll Learn
Weight cycling or yo-yo dieting
The potential negative health consequences of weight cycling are a subject of debate. While it is unclear if weight cycling poses a greater disease risk than maintaining obesity, it has been associated with increased risks of cardiometabolic disease, endometrial cancer, and type II diabetes. This may be due to repeated signals to the body indicating starvation, leading to enhanced fat storage and increased strain on vital organs. Additionally, weight cycling has been linked to increased food efficiency, caloric consumption, and body fat accumulation.
Research suggests that dieting to lose weight in individuals within a healthy normal range of body weight may be a stronger predictor of future weight gain than in those who are already overweight or obese. This phenomenon, known as "fat overshooting," is attributed to a faster rate of fat recovery relative to lean tissue recovery, resulting in excess fat accumulation. Lean individuals engaging in weight cycling are at a higher risk of "fat overshooting" than those who are obese.
Weight cycling can have varying impacts on different individuals, and breaking the cycle is possible. Seeking guidance from a doctor, dietitian, or personal trainer can help individuals find sustainable ways to improve their eating habits and incorporate exercise into their routines, which is crucial for maintaining weight loss. By understanding the potential risks and challenges associated with weight cycling, individuals can make more informed decisions about their health and well-being.
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Feedback loops between fat depletion and food intake
Dieting to lose weight has been associated with future weight gain and obesity. This is more common among dieters who are already in the normal range of body weight than in those who are overweight or obese. This phenomenon is known as "fat overshooting", where dieters regain more body fat than what they had lost.
As the body recovers from starvation, feedback signals from the depletion of fat mass and fat-free mass (FFM) contribute to weight regain. There is a desynchronization in the restoration of fat mass and FFM, with fat mass recovering at a faster rate. This leads to a state of hyperphagia, where individuals continue to overeat even after their body fat has been restored to pre-starvation values. The combination of a reduced BMR from muscle loss and increased energy intake due to hyperphagia results in excess fat accumulation, contributing to fat overshooting.
Furthermore, fat overshooting may be driven by the body's attempt to recover muscle mass. In semi-starvation studies, participants who lost significant amounts of muscle mass also experienced greater fat overshooting. It is hypothesized that body fat overshooting is a prerequisite for full muscle mass recovery, as the body uses the excess fat as a source of energy for muscle regeneration. Therefore, the loss of muscle mass during dieting can indirectly contribute to fat overshooting.
The feedback loops between fat depletion and food intake, coupled with the body's attempt to recover muscle mass, can result in a cycle of weight loss and weight regain, making dieting a potential risk factor for weight gain, especially in individuals who are already in the healthy normal range of body weight.
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Body composition autoregulation
Dieting has been a widely adopted approach for weight management since Hippocrates prescribed in 400 BC that the obese should eat less and exercise more. However, this approach has well-documented failures, with long-term studies indicating that a significant proportion of weight lost is regained within a year, and almost all within five years. This phenomenon, known as weight cycling or yo-yo dieting, can lead to increased cardiovascular risks. Despite these failures, a substantial portion of the population in Europe and North America continues to attempt dieting for weight loss.
The concept of body composition autoregulation provides a perspective on how dieting can make some individuals fatter, particularly those who are already lean. Body composition refers to the components that make up an individual's body, including fat mass and fat-free mass (FFM) or lean mass. Fat-free mass includes muscle, organs, water, and minerals such as bones and iron in the blood. When an individual loses weight through dieting, they may lose both fat mass and FFM, which can have negative consequences for their health and appearance.
One key aspect of body composition autoregulation is the role of feedback signals from both fat and lean tissues. During weight loss and subsequent refeeding or nutritional rehabilitation, these feedback signals contribute to recovering body weight through their effects on energy intake and thermogenesis. Specifically, a faster rate of fat recovery relative to lean tissue recovery has been observed, leading to a phenomenon known as fat overshooting. This temporal desynchronization in the restoration of fat vs. FFM results in hyperphagia, or overeating, that persists beyond the complete recovery of fat mass and until FFM is fully recovered. As this recovery of FFM is accompanied by fat deposition, excess fat accumulates, resulting in fat overshooting.
Lean individuals who diet are at a greater risk of fat overshooting compared to obese individuals. This is supported by data from the Minnesota Starvation Experiment and other studies, which revealed an inverse exponential relationship between the amount of fat overshot and initial adiposity. Thus, dieting to lose weight in individuals who are already in the healthy normal range of body weight is a stronger predictor of future weight gain than in those who are overweight or obese. This finding has important implications for understanding the obesity epidemic and the role of dieting in weight trajectories.
To mitigate the negative effects of dieting and weight cycling, it is crucial to focus on body composition rather than solely on weight loss. Increasing lean muscle can improve one's appearance and strength while reducing body fat. Additionally, ensuring adequate calorie intake and proper nutrition, including sufficient protein, can help maintain muscle mass and prevent collateral fattening. By understanding the dynamics of body composition autoregulation, individuals can make more informed decisions about their dietary and exercise habits to achieve their health and fitness goals.
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Losing muscle mass alongside fat mass
Losing weight is a common goal for many people, but it is important to do it in a healthy way. Weight loss should ideally be derived almost exclusively from the fat mass compartment, as this is the main driver of metabolic disease. However, studies have shown that there is often an accompanying loss of tissue from the fat-free compartment, including skeletal muscle mass. This can be particularly prominent in certain population groups, such as post-menopausal women, the elderly, those with metabolic disease, and athletes.
To preserve muscle mass while losing weight, it is important to include both resistance training and adequate protein intake. Research has shown that resistance training two to three times a week for up to six months can help prevent muscle loss while reducing fat mass and body weight. Additionally, a high protein diet promotes protein synthesis and the formation of muscle mass. It is recommended to consume 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
The timing of protein intake is also important. Consuming protein-rich foods immediately after exercise can maximise muscle protein synthesis. This strategy, known as protein pacing, can help to minimise the loss of skeletal muscle mass during weight loss. Additionally, a well-balanced diet that meets nutritional and energetic needs is crucial for maintaining muscle mass while optimising fat loss. Carbohydrates and healthy fats can help provide energy and prevent fatigue and muscle loss.
Overall, it is important to note that weight regain is common, with long-term studies indicating that one-third to two-thirds of lost weight is regained within a year, and almost all within five years. This can lead to a cycle of weight loss and regain, known as yo-yo dieting, which may have negative implications for body composition and metabolic health. Therefore, it is important to prioritise sustainable and healthy weight loss methods that preserve muscle mass and promote overall well-being.
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Hyperphagia and collateral fattening
Dieting has been a subject of considerable controversy over the past 30 years, with several studies suggesting that dieting to lose weight is associated with future weight gain and obesity. This phenomenon, known as "fat overshooting" or "collateral fattening", is more prevalent among individuals with a healthy normal range of body weight rather than those who are overweight or obese.
Collateral fattening refers to the process where excess fat is deposited as a result of the body's attempt to counter a deficit in lean mass through overeating. This process is driven by a feedback system between lean tissue and appetite control, where a lean tissue deficit drives hyperphagia, or excessive eating. This results in a temporal desynchronization in the recovery of body composition, with complete recovery of fat mass occurring before that of lean mass. Consequently, persistent hyperphagia driven by the need to complete lean tissue recovery leads to excess fat deposition, resulting in collateral fattening and fat overshooting.
The Minnesota Starvation Experiment conducted on young men of normal body weight provides evidence for collateral fattening. During the experiment, participants endured 24 weeks of semistarvation, resulting in a loss of approximately 25% of their body weight, 70% of body fat, and 27% of fat-free mass (FFM). In the subsequent refeeding phases, participants developed marked hyperphagia, and by the end of week 20, they had regained more body weight and fat than they had lost.
The degree of hyperphagia may be too high, exceeding the capacity for increasing the lean tissue synthesis rate. The rate of lean tissue deposition is limited, and modern diets, which are often energy-dense and low in bulk, contribute to excessive caloric intake. This leads to a situation of preferential catch-up fat, resulting in temporal desynchronization and consequential collateral fattening.
In summary, collateral fattening and hyperphagia are closely linked to the body's attempt to counter a deficit in lean mass through overeating. This process is influenced by feedback systems, temporal desynchronization in body composition recovery, and the limited rate of lean tissue deposition, ultimately contributing to excess fat deposition and weight gain.
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Frequently asked questions
Weight cycling is the repeated cycle of weight loss and weight gain over time.
Weight cycling is a risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases. It increases the risk of weight gain and obesity.
Dieting to lose weight in people who are already in a healthy weight range is a strong predictor of future weight gain. This is referred to as “fat overshooting”, where people regain more body fat than what they lost.
Dieting can lead to a loss of lean muscle mass, especially if weight is lost too quickly. This can be detrimental to overall health and increase the risk of cardiometabolic diseases.
Instead of focusing on dieting, it is recommended to adopt a healthy eating plan that includes a balanced intake of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) and regular physical activity to promote fat loss and preserve lean muscle mass.
