We must all stop dieting at ONCE!!!

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Mrs. Edge

Bono's Belly Dancing Friend
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I'm sure this will encourage a LOT of people to quit dieting! :lol:


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1669568,00.html

The Sunday Times - Britain

June 26, 2005

Stay fat and live longer – survey casts doubt on dieting
Jonathan Leake, Science Editor



RESEARCHERS have found that moderately overweight people who diet in the hope of improving their health die slightly younger than people who stay fat.
If confirmed, the study could raise serious doubts about the prevailing medical advice to overweight people that they should diet until their weight reduces.

It suggests that the physiological and metabolic stresses associated with weight loss could be so great as to outweigh the benefits of being thinner.

The research, carried out in Finland, followed nearly 20,000 twins over a period of 24 years. Twins are favoured for such studies because the genetic similarities mean the effects of variations in environment or lifestyle can be picked out more easily.

In 1975 they were questioned about their weight and desire to lose weight. The same group was then questioned again in 1981, after which they were monitored for 18 years to see which of them died and from what causes.

Professor Jaakko Kaprio, of Helsinki University’s public health department, who co- authored the research, said the results suggested weight loss by overweight but otherwise healthy people could be “hazardous in the long term”.

“Losing weight seemed to be associated with higher mortality,” said Kaprio. “One reason for this may be that when people diet to lose weight they lose fat-free tissue as well as fat.”

The paper, to be published in a science journal tomorrow, stresses that the findings did not apply to the obese or to overweight people with related conditions such as diabetes.

For such groups the relative benefits of weight loss are likely to be far greater, especially if accompanied by taking more exercise.

The difference between being overweight and obese lies in a person’s body mass index (BMI), which is calculated from weight and height. An adult with a BMI of more than 25 is classed as overweight and one with a BMI of more than 30 is obese.

The researchers cut out data from anyone suffering from diabetes or from other serious illnesses because these often cause weight loss.

This left them with a final sample of 2,957, of whom 268 had died. When the researchers analysed this group they were surprised to find that those who had stuck to their commitment to dieting were more likely to die young than those who stayed fat.

Other studies support the research. In America researchers followed 6,391 middle-aged people, who were either obese or overweight, for nine years and found the lowest mortality among those whose weight remained stable or increased.

Tom Sanders, professor of nutrition at King’s College London, said the impact of the surge in obesity was hard to interpret. “One paradox is that people in the West have grown so much fatter but they are also living longer,” he said. “My view is that there is a big problem with young people becoming overweight. We should be worrying more about them and less about fat middle-aged people who are probably better off staying as they are.”

Around half of British adults are overweight, and 17% of men and 21% of women are obese. Both conditions increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and of several types of cancer.
 
The article makes sense. Personally, I've always felt the best way to lose weight AND get healthier is simply a better diet and lots of exercise. One thing that worries me about lots of dieting is that of the people I've observed who are constantly dieting, they're not consistently dieting. They'll try Atkins, and then South Beach, and then Weight Watchers and everytime the entire diet, as in what types of foods they're allowed to eat, completely changes. I imagine this is pretty bad for one's system after a while.
 
reading the article is discouraging.

damned if i do, damned if i dont.

what should i do, take pills then? get lipo?

cant exercise too much, need to exercise more...

:sigh:
 
icelle said:
reading the article is discouraging.

damned if i do, damned if i dont.

what should i do, take pills then? get lipo?

cant exercise too much, need to exercise more...

:sigh:

The answer is simple. Eat a healthy diet (not the same as dieting) and get regular exercise (don't overdo it - 3-4 times a week).

Not saying this is always easy to do, but that is really all it comes down to.
 
What bsp77 said. :up: Dieting just doesn't work as well and can have bad side effects. A change in lifestyle is the best way to lose weight and stay in shape.
 
I work out three times a week and eat a good diet but my BMI is at 15%. That is normal but I would like it to be a little lower. I think a lot of weight is in the genes and no matter what we do, we are still going to weigh a certain amount.
 
Sheltie said:
I work out three times a week and eat a good diet but my BMI is at 15%. That is normal but I would like it to be a little lower. I think a lot of weight is in the genes and no matter what we do, we are still going to weigh a certain amount.


A BMI of 15 is extremely low, unhealthy in fact. Are you sure you have your numbers right? A normal BMI is 18.5-24.9!

Or are you talking about body fat? 15 is extremely low for a female, normal for male.
 
Mrs. Edge said:
Plus, lipo doesn't last...I've had first hand experience with that!

It doesn't work in what way?

The fat cells that are removed are removed permanently. That is not to say that your remaining fat cells cannot expand and divide, and therefore you can gain weight as you did before the lipo.
 
Mrs. Edge said:



A BMI of 15 is extremely low, unhealthy in fact. Are you sure you have your numbers right? A normal BMI is 18.5-24.9!

Or are you talking about body fat? 15 is extremely low for a female, normal for male.
Yes, it is 15% and some change. My trainer did not mention it was too low. But thanks for the info. I will check on it. Maybe I misunderstood something. I weigh 171 but I lift weights so its all muscle mass not fat.
 
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If I get to 20% fat, I will be the happiest person on earth! LOL! :)

Here is a chart of ranges that I found on the net:

Fat Level

Men (%) Women (%)

Very Low 7-10 14-17

Low 10-13 17-20

Average 13-17 20-27

High 17-25 27-31

Very High above 25 above 31
 
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