What Is Yo-Yo Dieting? Know It's Side Effects

Dieting and fitness is an integral part celebs' lifestyle. However, the general public may be misled into following fad diets and fitness trends seeing toned physiques of female stars. Deepika Padukone is one of the fittest Bollywood celebs and puts in a lot of hard work to stay in her enviable shape. An old interview of the actress has been doing the rounds recently in which she gets candid about the harmful culture of crash dieting and overnight body transformations.

Also read: What Is Dead Butt Syndrome? Know Causes, Symptoms And Prevention

In other terms, the pattern of losing weight, regaining it and then dieting again is called yo-yo dieting. It’s a process that causes weight to go up and down like a yo-yo.

Also read: Haldi-Amla Shot Can Boost Immunity In Winters, Here's The Recipe

What is yo-yo dieting?

Yo-yo dieting (also called weight cycling) is a process where one loses weight on a strict diet then gain it all back and repeat the cycle over and over. The weight fluctuation is exactly like a yo-yo going up and down.

How is yo-yo dieting harmful?

When you do crash dieting to lose weight, you lose fat and muscle mass. Additionally, your metabolism slows down to conserve energy.

Repeated yo-yo dieting cycles are linked to:

Slower metabolism over time
Higher body fat percentage (even if scale weight looks similar)
Increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
Accumulation of more belly fat 
Possible effects on gut bacteria, skin elasticity (loose/saggy skin), and even mental health issues

Some studies show the bigger the weight swings, the worse the risks.

Building a non-diet relationship with food combined with regular body movement tends to give way better results in the long run.