ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — At least 45 million Americans go on a diet each year, and they spend $33 billion annually on weight loss products. Crash diets promise quick and easy results, but the results usually don’t last. Ivanhoe reports on what you can do instead of dieting to maintain a healthy weight.
If you’ve packed on a few pounds recently, you may be considering a diet. But registered dietitian Ashley Hinds says the first rule of dieting is: don’t do it! “Our body is always trying to reach homeostasis and it is anticipating, oh, you put me through a famine, a diet, a few times now, I need to anticipate for the next famine, and that’s actually what leads to weight cycling, and typically that’s why dieting actually causes weight gain over time.”
One large review found at least one-third to two-thirds of people who dieted regained more weight than they lost within four to five years. Hinds says instead of dieting, focus on three daily meals, with two to three snacks, but don’t exclude your favorite foods completely! “Because what ends up happening is that if we think too much let’s say about a bad food or a societal bad food, then that’s all we can think about” says Hinds.
Even if you don’t diet, you can be conscious of your calorie intake. One way to figure out how many daily calories you need is the 12 calories per pound rule. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, your body uses roughly 1,800 calories a day. And when it comes to losing fat, there’s really only one surefire formula: to shed one pound, you have to burn off 3,500 calories. Cleveland Clinic says intuitive eating is a great way to make peace with food without actually counting calories. The approach involves listening to your body’s clues: eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. There are better alternatives to crash dieting,
Some experts believe the diet that’s been shown to produce the most positive results over time is the Mediterranean Diet, which includes lots of whole foods, like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats.
Contributors to this news report include: Julie Marks, Producer; Roque Correa,
Sources:
https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/Dieting-Does-Not-Work-UCLA-Researchers-7832
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-intuitive-eating/
https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/weight-loss/diet.htm
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/14-ways-to-stick-to-a-diet#2.-Think-twice-before-you-crash-diet
SAY NO TO DIETING!
REPORT #3021
BACKGROUND: Healthy weight loss is a lifestyle. It involves healthy eating patterns, regular physical activity, and stress management. Those who have gradual and steady weight loss (about one to two pounds per week) are more likely to keep the weight off. It’s recommended to develop an eating plan that helps manage your weight. This includes foods such as dark, leafy greens, oranges, and tomatoes. These are loaded with vitamins, fiber, and minerals. Adding frozen peppers, broccoli, or onions to stews and omelets gives them a quick and convenient boost of color and nutrients. Physical activity is also important for good health and to maintain a healthy weight. It can also help to reduce high blood pressure; reduce risk for type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and several forms of cancer; reduce arthritis pain and associated disability; reduce risk for osteoporosis and falls; and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
(Source: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html)
ALL ABOUT CRASH DIETS: Over 60 percent of Americans are classified as being overweight. With crash diets, the weight loss is immediate and provides an instant gratification. However, the weight is typically put back on, and sometimes even more, when the person goes back to their normal ways. Most crash diets involve eating little or nothing, which means there aren’t complicated grocery lists involved, delivery schedules that require compensation, or dieticians that require payment. They are typically two to seven days in length and most people can lose the right amount of weight with just a few days of effort. However, the biggest health risk of a crash diet is the formation of gallstones. These stones can become large enough that they block the gallbladder or other portions of the gastrointestinal tract and require emergency medical intervention. Because the primary focus of crash diets is calorie intake, most of them are designed around consuming the bare minimum amount of food so that the effects of starvation are not felt. This prevents the body from getting the nutrients it needs to be healthy, which over the long-term can be life-threatening.
(Source: https://healthresearchfunding.org/10-pros-and-cons-of-a-crash-diet/)
NEW STUDY ON SALT AND STRESS: The recommended salt intake for adults is less than six grams a day but most people consume about nine grams. This can contribute to higher blood pressure, which increases the risks of heart attacks, strokes, and vascular dementia. A new study shows a diet containing lots of salt can contribute to increased levels of stress. Scientists found in studying mice that a high-salt diet increased the levels of a stress hormone by 75 percent. They hope these findings will encourage a review of public health policy around salt consumption regarding manufacturers reducing the amount of salt in processed food. Matthew Bailey, Professor of Renal Physiology at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Cardiovascular Science, said, “We are what we eat and understanding how high-salt food changes our mental health is an important step to improving wellbeing. We know that eating too much salt damages our heart, blood vessels and kidneys. This study now tells us that high salt in our food also changes the way our brain handles stress.”
(Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221116133837.htm)
* For More Information, Contact:
Ashley Hinds, RDN, LDN, CEDRD
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