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| What is weight
cycling? |
Weight cycling is the repeated loss and regain
of body weight. This sometimes happens to people
who go on weight-loss diets. A small cycle may
include loss and regain of 5 to 10 pounds. In a
large cycle, weight can change by 50 pounds or
more.
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Is weight cycling harmful to my
health?
Weight cycling is the
repeated loss and regain of body weight. This
sometimes happens to people who go on weight-loss
diets.
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Experts are not sure if weight cycling leads
to health problems. However, some studies
suggest a link to high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, gallbladder disease, and other
problems. One study showed other problems may
be linked to weight cycling as well. The study
showed that women who weight cycle gain more
weight over time than women who do not weight
cycle. Binge eating (when a person eats a lot
of food while feeling out of control) was also
linked to women who weight cycle. The same
study showed that women who weight cycle were
also less likely to use physical activity to
control their weight.
Weight cycling may affect your mental health
too. People who weight cycle may feel depressed
about their weight. However, weight cycling
should not be a reason to “feel like a
failure.” If you feel down, try to focus
on making changes in your eating and physical
activity habits. Keeping a good attitude will
help you stay focused. In addition, talk with a
health care professional about your weight and
ways you can manage it. Doing so may help you
determine why you weight cycle. Understanding
the cause of your weight cycling may help you
in the process of lifelong weight
management.
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How can I manage weight and
avoid weight cycling?
Experts recommend different strategies
for different people. The goal for
everyone is to achieve a healthy weight.
This can help prevent the health problems
linked to weight cycling.
- People who are not overweight or
obese, and have no health problems
related to weight, should maintain a
stable weight.
- People who are overweight or obese
should try to achieve and maintain a
modest weight loss. An initial goal of
losing 10 percent of your body weight
can help in your efforts to improve
overall health.
If you need to lose weight, be ready
to make lifelong changes. Healthy eating
and physical activity are the keys to
your efforts. Focus on making healthful
food choices, such as eating more
high-fiber foods like fruits and
vegetables and cutting down on foods that
are high in saturated or trans
fats. And make room for physical
activity. Studies show that many people
who weight cycle do not participate in
regular physical activity. Walking,
jogging, or other activities can help
keep you active and feeling good. To find
out more about healthy eating and the
amount of physical activity you need,
check out MyPyramid, the Federal
Government’s food guidance system,
online at http://www.mypyramid.gov.
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If I weight cycle after a diet, will
I gain more weight than I had before the diet?
Will I have less muscle?
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Studies do not show that fat tissue increases
after a weight cycle. Study results do not
support decreases in muscle either. Many people
simply regain the weight they lost while on the
diet—they have the same amount of fat and
muscle as they did before the weight cycle.
Some people worry that weight cycling can put
more fat around their stomach area. This is
important since people who carry extra body
weight around this area are more likely to
develop type 2 diabetes. Studies show that people
do not have more fat around their stomach after a
weight cycle. However, other studies suggest that
women who are overweight and have a history of
weight cycling have thicker layers of fat around
their stomach—compared to women who do not
weight cycle. It is not clear how this relates to
weight cycling.
Top
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If I regain lost weight, will it be
even harder to lose it
again? |
Losing weight after a weight cycle should
not be harder. Studies show weight cycling does
not affect how fast you burn food energy, which
is called your “metabolic
rate.” This rate slows as we get
older, but healthy eating and regular physical
activity can still help you achieve a healthy
weight.
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| Is staying
overweight healthier than weight
cycling? |
This is a hard question to answer since
experts are not sure whether weight cycling
causes health problems. However, experts are sure
that if you are overweight, losing weight is a
good thing. Being overweight or obese is
associated with the following health
problems:
- high blood pressure
- heart disease
- stroke
- gallbladder disease
- fatty liver disease
- type 2 diabetes
- certain types of cancer
- arthritis
- breathing problems, such as sleep apnea
(when breathing stops for short periods during
sleep)
Not everyone who is overweight or obese has
the same risk for these problems. Risk is
affected by several factors: your gender,
family history of disease, the amount of extra
weight you have, and where fat is located on your
body. You can improve your health with a modest
weight loss. Losing just 10 percent of your body
weight over 6 months will help.
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Conclusions
Try to eat healthy
and get plenty of physical activity. If you go
through a weight cycle, do not feel like a
failure. Just keep trying your
best.
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Experts need to learn more about weight
cycling. Knowing if it is a cause or effect of
poor physical and mental health is important. In
the meantime, you can help yourself if you are
overweight or obese. Try to eat healthy and get
plenty of physical activity. If you go through a
weight cycle, do not feel like a failure. Just
keep trying your best.
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For Further
Reading |
Active at Any Size. October 2006.
Available from the Weight-control Information
Network (WIN) and online at
http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/active.htm.
Binge Eating Disorder. June 2008.
Available from WIN and online at
http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/binge.htm.
Dieting and Gallstones. April 2006.
Available from WIN and online at
http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/gallstones.htm.
Finding Your Way to a Healthier You.
Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans
2005. Published by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS). DHHS
Publication No.
HHS–ODPHP2005–01–DGA–B.
USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 232–CP.
Available from the Federal Citizen Information
Center at 1–888–878–3256 and
online at http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.
Just Enough for You: About Food
Portions. August 2006. Available from WIN
and online at
http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/just_enough.htm.
Tips to Help You Get Active. January
2006. Available from WIN and online at
http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/tips.htm.
Weight-loss and Nutrition Myths.
August 2006. Available from WIN and online at
http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/myths.htm.
Weight Loss for Life. July 2006.
Available from WIN and online at
http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/for_life.htm.
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Weight-control Information
Network
1 WIN Way
Bethesda, MD 20892–3665
Phone: (202) 828–1025
Toll-free number:
1–877–946–4627
Fax: (202) 828–1028
Email: win@info.niddk.nih.gov
Internet: http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov
The Weight-control Information Network (WIN)
is a service of the National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health,
which is the Federal Government’s lead
agency responsible for biomedical research on
nutrition and obesity. Authorized by Congress
(Public Law 103–43), WIN provides the
general public, health professionals, the media,
and Congress with up-to-date, science-based
health information on weight control, obesity,
physical activity, and related nutritional
issues.
Publications produced by WIN are reviewed by
both NIDDK scientists and outside experts. This
publication was also reviewed by Rudolph L.
Leibel, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and
Medicine, Head of the Division of Molecular
Genetics, Columbia University College of
Physicians and Surgeons.
This publication is not copyrighted. WIN
encourages users of this fact sheet to duplicate
and distribute as many copies as
desired.
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NIH Publication No. 01–3901
May 2008
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