The real danger of yo-yo dieting

Losing weight rapidly, only to pile it all back on again - yo-yo dieting - is a trap many fall into; a survey in 2014 found 60 per cent of yo-yo dieters will try up to 20 diets in their lifetime.

And you don't have to be losing and gaining huge amounts of weight to be a yo-yo dieter, but the weight gain and loss occurs over weeks and months, rather than years.

This way of dieting has been blamed for a range of health issues including hormone imbalances and osteoporosis.

A study presented last week at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions found it could also harm the heart - and the risk increases the more often you try and fail to keep weight off.

"This is particularly worrying since we know many yo-yo dieters have been on multiple failed diets, each time regaining more weight than they lose," says Rebecca McManamon, of the British Dietetic Association.

Here are some of the reasons experts give for why yo-yo dieting is so bad for you:

• You'll put weight on even faster
• It harms the heart more than obesity
• You will end up looking older
• It stops fertility therapy working
• It can have a bad effect on bone density
• It can lead to gum disease and loss of teeth
• It may even be linked to cancer

Read the full story on NZ Herald.