Do you make a wish of losing weight at every beginning of the New Year? Having a good body is the wish of most people. In modern society, a good figure is not only a healthy state but also a kind of capital that makes people show off. Especially in countries with serious obesity problems, weight loss seems to be a big deal. Who doesn't want to get rid of the swimming ring on his body? Who does not want to get rid of the nickname of ' Michelin tire man'? Among the many ways to lose weight, extreme dieting sounds like the simplest and most direct method. People achieve weight loss by reducing food intake or simply eating simple vegetables. However, Buchanan sentenced the death penalty to diet in the Journal of Health Psychology: “There was no evidence to support dieting as a means to achieve significant sustainable weight loss” (par.1). It is very hard to maintain the results of weight loss by extreme dieting. And it has a great negative impact on psychological, which also cause the failure of weight loss. It is an ineffective way to lose weight.
In addition to those who want to change in obesity for many reasons, women, as the main target customers of the beauty market, are undoubtedly the easiest to fall into the trap of dieting. For weight loss, we are not only talking about the decline in numbers on weight scales but rather to get rid of obesity. According to an article posted on PLOS One, weight loss should be the prevention and treatment of non-infectious chronic diseases under the premise of weight control. Ultimately achieve better health and quality of life (Silva et al., par.4-5). In other words, if weight falls but does not lead to a better quality of life and health, then such weight loss is unhealthy or unsuccessful. Losing weight is certainly a good thing. But if you become no longer healthy because of it, then girls, it will become meaningless. In fact, cancer can also cause a significant drop in weight (Valenzuela). But would you choose to use this method? Maybe you want to get rid of obesity. But getting sick is unlikely to be the ideal choice.
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The biggest problem with dieting is that it is difficult to maintain the results. In order to lose weight by extreme dieting, you need to reduce the food intake for among of time. During this time, you may need to say goodbye to all your favorite food. Candy and ice cream will become absolute taboos. Even bread and potatoes must be reduced. In this way, you can reduce the number of weights. It seems like the dream is coming and the body can now be showing. However, in addition to malnutrition caused by dieting, the result of weight loss may not last long. An article posted on Prevention pointed out that “when you dip below about 1,200 calories per day, not only are you not eating enough to get all your nutrients, but your body slows metabolism in order to hold on to precious calories” (Karras, par.2). Because your metabolism will drop during dieting, which means any extra food will cause you gaining fat back quickly. Simply put, your body thinks you are going to 'starve to death'. This triggers it to store energy madly to prevent you from starving. This means that enjoying a cupcake in a bakery after shopping can destroy the results of a few weeks of dieting. Can you imagine a world where you can no longer taste ice cream? Such a result is exactly the opposite of the purpose of weight loss. And greatly affect the quality of life. It is extremely difficult to maintain the results of a diet.
In addition, the psychological impact of dieting is more likely to cause weight loss failure. In the dieting process, people's desire for food will increase with time. In Buchanan 's experiment, participants made it clear that the desire for ice cream has increased (par.20). This increase in food cravings, on the one hand, increases the mental stress of the dieter and on the other hand, increases the difficulty of weight loss. It may even be in ice-cream's 'arms'. The weight loss plan was terminated at this time. The process of dieting is undoubtedly painful for dieters. Dieters need to resist the temptation of ubiquitous food. After all, food is not defined as a drug. This growing desire for food led dieters to give up on dieting. Going back to the previous diet. Buchanan 's experiment showed even worse results. “When the participants recommenced eating as normal, many of them engaged in binge-eating behavior and subsequently exceeded their pre-starvation weight” (par.5). In addition, due to the high failure rate of dieting, it also has a great negative psychological impact on dieters. “Feelings of failure and lack of control over one's life, decreased self-esteem, guilt and self-blame, irritability, anxiety and depression, difficulty concentrating and fatigue are commonly reported experiences of dieters” (Buchanan, par.3). This negative psychological impact of dieting not only does not help dieters lose weight but also leaves them frustrated.
Even so, dieters are convinced that dieting is the easiest and most effective way in the short term, compared to spending money and time on the gym. It is undeniable that dieting loses weight does reduce weight in the short term, but it is also its only benefit. But such results are based on an unhealthy state of mind and a poor physical state. Not only can't guarantee the effect of weight loss, but it may also make the situation worse. In contrast, spending money and time on fitness is an investment in yourself. And the effect of fitness is significant. Reasonable fitness even allows you to taste all the food properly. You don't need to give up the cake in order to put on a beautiful dress.
In general, dieting is an ineffective way to lose weight. The results of dieting are difficult to maintain, and the negative psychological effects of dieting not only do not help to lose weight but even cause harm to dieters. Pursuing a healthy body doesn't have to be painful. Pursuing a healthy body doesn't have to say goodbye to food. Through the right amount of exercise and diet control, the pursuit of a healthy body can also be without bitterness and pain. It's time to put down your bowl of salad and go running outside.
Works Cited
- Buchanan, Kiera, and Jeanie Sheffield. “Why Do Diets Fail? An Exploration of Dieters’ Experiences Using Thematic Analysis”. Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 22, no. 7, June 2017, pp. 906–915. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/1359105315618000.
- Silva, David Franciole Oliveira, et al. “Instruments for Evaluation of Motivations for Weight Loss in Individuals with Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis”. PLoS ONE, vol. 14, no. 7, July 2019, pp. 1–13. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0220104.
- Valenzuela-Landaeta, K., et al. “Evaluación Nutricional Del Paciente Con Cáncer”. Nutricion Hospitalaria, vol. 27, no. 2, Mar. 2012, pp. 516–523. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3305/nh.2012.27.2.5525.
- KARRAS, TULA. “7 Reasons Your Diet’s Not Working”. Prevention, vol. 64, no. 4, Apr. 2012, pp. 28–36. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=73278024&site=ehost-live.
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