Thinking about dieting for bathing suit season? You may be better off in the long run if you don't.
A review of 31 long-term diet studies, appearing in this month's issue of American Psychologist, found that diets rarely work for more than six months, and most dieters return to their pre-diet weight, if not more.
The typical diet does help people lose five to 10 percent of body weight in the first six months, the studies showed.
The trouble is at least one-third of dieters gained the weight back within four or five years. In some studies, that number was as high as two-thirds, and the researchers estimate the real number is even higher, because so many dieters lost contact before long-term follow-up was possible.
People who diet and regain the weight are worse off than people who never dieted, the review authors argue, because of the stress they put on their body and the increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and immune system problems.
The UCLA scientists who conducted the review said in a press release that they looked only at diets, not at exercise or at simply eating in moderation, both of which are still considered safe ways to lose weight.
Fight smoking with food
Though dieting is a bad idea, scientists writing in this month's issue of Nicotine and Tobacco Research are kicking around an idea for how minor diet changes could help smokers quit.
The scientists conducted a survey of 209 smokers to find out which foods enhance the flavor of cigarettes and which foods detract from the taste. The idea is that moving toward foods that weaken the enjoyment of cigarettes, and away from foods that bolster the experience, could help fight the psychological desire to smoke.
According to the smokers who answered the survey, fruits, vegetables, noncaffeinated beverages and dairy products all worsened the taste of cigarettes while, not surprisingly, they said caffeinated drinks, alcohol and meat enhanced the taste.
The study didn't go far enough to say if changing what you eat can fight a smoking habit, but considering the foods that worsen cigarette flavor are nutritious anyway, it wouldn't hurt to try.
'Liver holiday'
There are a lot of health risks associated with heavy drinking, but a new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests a way for heavy drinkers who can't cut back to at least minimize some of their risk of premature death.
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