Being Overweight May be Healthier than Dieting

Last week, I promised you lots of encouraging words about weight control so that you can enjoy this holiday season with no regrets over what you ate.

I hope you’ve had time to read the background info included in May Your Days be Merry and Light this Holiday Season, as well as Holiday Eating Tips: How Not to Gain Weight over the Holidays

Now for the encouraging words: there is significant evidence to suggest that dieting may be worse for your health than being "overweight". If you’ve ever struggled to lose weight and keep it off, those words should be music to your ears.

You haven’t failed; the diets have!

A panel of experts convened by the National Institutes of Health agreed that no matter what weight-loss plan people follow, almost all of them regain all or most of the weight.

Diet failure leads to yo-yo dieting, which has been linked to reduced bone mass, higher cholesterol, higher blood pressure, increased inflammation, insulin resistance and depressed immune function.

The obvious conclusion is that restrictive diets:

• Do not lead to long term weight loss; and
• Are actually harmful to your health.

I’m not suggesting that you stop paying attention to what you eat. As I often say, we all need to Eat Healthy for Life.

Come back tomorrow for If Diets are Harmful and Don’t Even Work, What Should the Overweight Do?

Tags: cravings, enjoy your food, holiday diet tips, avoid holiday weight gain, eat healthy for life