Close Menu
Healthtost
  • News
  • Mental Health
  • Men’s Health
  • Women’s Health
  • Skin Care
  • Sexual Health
  • Pregnancy
  • Nutrition
  • Fitness
  • Recommended Essentials
What's Hot

How sugar affects your microbes

February 10, 2026

The health benefits of walking at any age

February 10, 2026

‘Partial reprogramming’ of engram neurons restores memory performance in mice

February 10, 2026
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclaimer
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Healthtost
SUBSCRIBE
  • News

    ‘Partial reprogramming’ of engram neurons restores memory performance in mice

    February 10, 2026

    SPT Labtech and Bellbrook Labs Introduce High-Throughput Screening Platform for Cancer Research

    February 10, 2026

    The nervous system actively promotes precancerous lesions of the pancreas

    February 9, 2026

    UK Ambulance Intensive Care Expands But Unequal Access Still Limits Life-Saving Treatment

    February 9, 2026

    New neuroprotective drug improves recovery after acute ischemic stroke

    February 8, 2026
  • Mental Health

    Advancing the Future of Behavioral Health Data Exchange

    February 7, 2026

    How to avoid watching disturbing videos on social media and protect your peace of mind

    February 6, 2026

    Mental Health in the Black Community: Addressing…

    February 3, 2026

    Some people gain confidence when they think things through, others lose it – new research

    February 2, 2026

    3 practical ways to improve a writer’s mental health

    January 31, 2026
  • Men’s Health

    Air conditioning in nursing homes reduces heat-related risk

    February 6, 2026

    Analysis: What it’s like to have non-verbal autism and what helped me

    February 5, 2026

    Testicular cancer self-examination and why it could save your life

    February 2, 2026

    25-Minute Bodyweight Functional Training Program for Beginners

    February 1, 2026

    Turning everyday eggs into powerful nutrient delivery systems

    January 30, 2026
  • Women’s Health

    Perimenopause symptoms to watch out for in your 30s and 40s

    February 9, 2026

    Breast reduction surgery saved my life

    February 9, 2026

    2.6 Friday Faves – The Fitnessista

    February 7, 2026

    Enjoying Endorphins: How to Spoil Your Mood with Feel-Good Hormones

    February 5, 2026

    A critical maternal health data system is at risk

    February 5, 2026
  • Skin Care

    5 Signs Your Skin Needs a Drink (And What to Do About It)

    February 10, 2026

    Fraxel Laser in Philadelphia | About Facial Aesthetics

    February 10, 2026

    Complete serum that works: The nighttime routine for real results

    February 8, 2026

    How to avoid shaving irritation: 7 myths that keep your skin angry

    February 7, 2026

    TNW Rich Cream for Soft, Smooth Skin – The natural wash

    February 7, 2026
  • Sexual Health

    Australia is closer to ending cervical cancer

    February 9, 2026

    Adventurous intimacy is more common than you think — Alliance for Sexual Health

    February 5, 2026

    A guide to a comfortable cervical check with Dr. Unsworth

    February 1, 2026

    How “Bridgerton” and the Other Romances Evolved in Their Depictions of Consent

    January 30, 2026

    Extraction, gold mining and SRHR in Kenya

    January 29, 2026
  • Pregnancy

    18 places to get free baby products, samples and gear in 2026

    February 8, 2026

    Pregnant on Chhath Puja? Hydration and nutrition tips

    February 6, 2026

    The second trimester sweet spot is real. Here’s how to get the most out of it

    February 4, 2026

    Is it safe to drink milk during pregnancy? What to know

    January 31, 2026

    12 Expert Answers to Your Pregnancy Yoga Questions

    January 29, 2026
  • Nutrition

    How sugar affects your microbes

    February 10, 2026

    Stress and weight in midlife

    February 9, 2026

    Nutrient Loss in Modern Cooking: How Frying, Microwaving and Overcooking Deplete Vitamins

    February 9, 2026

    Intuitive Eating 101: It’s More Than ‘Eating When You’re Hungry’

    February 8, 2026

    The gut is not a tube

    February 8, 2026
  • Fitness

    The health benefits of walking at any age

    February 10, 2026

    The Orthopedic suggested cardio exercises that are easy on your joints

    February 8, 2026

    The Best Travel Products for Women Over 50 (Comfort and Convenience)

    February 8, 2026

    Ben Greenfield Weekly Update: January 30th

    February 7, 2026

    Smart Shoulder Solutions: An Evidence-based Approach

    February 7, 2026
  • Recommended Essentials
Healthtost
Home»Nutrition»The science of diet and weight loss
Nutrition

The science of diet and weight loss

healthtostBy healthtostFebruary 15, 2024No Comments7 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Reddit WhatsApp Email
The Science Of Diet And Weight Loss
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest WhatsApp Email

Dieting and “lifestyle programs” can feel so seductive in a culture that tells you your body is wrong and needs to be fixed. But what does science actually say about dieting for weight loss? Operates? Is it sustainable? Does it improve our overall health? We dive into all that and more in today’s post.Content warning: references to stigmatizing language about weight used in research, weight loss numbers

New Year, New Me messages are rampant at the start of the year and with that comes an onslaught of New Year’s resolutions and nutrition company marketing in full force.

I’ve heard January referred to as “National Diet Month” because so many diet / wellness / “lifestyle” companies (or whatever they call themselves these days) are rampant at this time of year and many people are especially vulnerable to their marketing . messages entering the new year.

What the $77 billion diet industry doesn’t tell you is all the research that shows diets don’t work long term. Because their value is based on repeat customers – the same people who try their program over and over and over again.

It’s helpful to know what the scientific literature says about diet and weight loss, but even more important (IMO) than the research is YOUR lived experience. Have diets worked for you in the past? How long did they work? Have you finally gained the weight back? Did the diets/lifestyle programs feel sustainable to you? Why or why not? You know your body best.

Diet and weight loss research

A 2007 review of the scientific literature on diet and weight loss by Mann et al. found that only 14 research studies looked at weight loss outcomes after 4 years or more. This means that all other dieting and weight loss literature has a very short-term follow-up (usually 1 year). These study designs benefit the diet industry because we know that diets work in the short term, but anywhere from two to several years, most people regain the weight.

The review found that of the studies they looked at, participants lost about 10-65 pounds. At follow-up, most of the weight had been regained. Results ranged from a net loss of 15lb to an 8lb weight gain from where they started.

30-64% of participants ended up at or above their starting weight before the diet.

Only 9% of participants ended up with a BMI of less than 35. And those who lost more than 15% of their weight actually doubled their mortality risk.

A 2018 general review of meta-analyses on weight loss interventions found that “there is no high-quality evidence to recommend treating ‘obesity’ with a specific non-surgical or non-pharmacological intervention among many available”. AKA we don’t have good evidence to recommend dietary or lifestyle interventions for weight loss.Graphic with quote: "A 2018 general review of meta-analyses on weight loss interventions found that there "there is no high-quality evidence to recommend a treatment "portliness" with a specific non-surgical or non-pharmacological intervention among many available." AKA we don't have good evidence to recommend dietary or lifestyle interventions for weight loss."Graphic with quote: "A 2018 general review of meta-analyses on weight loss interventions found that there "there is no high-quality evidence to recommend a treatment "portliness" with a specific non-surgical or non-pharmacological intervention among many available." AKA we don't have good evidence to recommend dietary or lifestyle interventions for weight loss."

Naturalistic studies (where you observe people in their natural environment and record behaviors) have concluded that diet is actually a predictor of weight gain. So diets not only don’t work but also predict weight gain. A number of meta-analyses and comprehensive reviews have reported the same results – that lifestyle interventions actually lead to weight gain, especially with long-term follow-up.

Other reviews have shown that 3-5% weight loss is possible for years afterwards if all aspects of treatment are maintained. To give this more context, that would be a 6-10 lb weight loss for a 200 lb person. The health benefits of this type of moderate weight loss are unclear. And most people are looking for 30% weight loss, not 3-5%.

Are there health risks associated with weight due to weight cycling?

Studies show that weight cycling (weight loss, weight gain, rinse and repeat) is a risk factor for diabetes, dyslipidemia, poorer self-esteem, insulin resistance, hypertension, and visceral fat.

A 15-year study showed that the highest death rate was in people who lost weight and not those who gained weight or remained stable. That too other studies it shows us Weight cycling can be worse for your health than staying at/maintaining a higher weight.

What if the health risks we see associated with weight are actually due to repeated attempts to lose weight and the stress it puts on the body rather than actual body size?

We know that health-promoting behaviors (exercise, eating more fruits and vegetables, getting enough sleep) can reduce mortality risk regardless of any weight changes. Yes correctly. You can improve your health indicators without losing weight.

Graphic with quote: "We know that health-promoting behaviors (exercise, eating more fruits and vegetables, getting enough sleep) can reduce mortality risk regardless of any weight changes.  Yes correctly.  You can improve your health indicators without losing weight."Graphic with quote: "We know that health-promoting behaviors (exercise, eating more fruits and vegetables, getting enough sleep) can reduce mortality risk regardless of any weight changes.  Yes correctly.  You can improve your health indicators without losing weight."It is also important to consider how weight stigma or anti-fat bias plays into the association data we see between higher weights and worse health outcomes. It has been reported in the literature that “bias can reduce efforts to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors through negative emotional distress and unhealthy eating patterns.”

It’s also worth noting that all studies on weight and health risks are correlated. And when you learn how to read and analyze the research, the one thing that is always emphasized is “correlation does not equal causation”. We cannot say that weight causes chronic disease – there is no literature to support this.

If you look at all the data on smoking/tobacco use and lung cancer and see that there is a correlation between them with yellow teeth and lung cancer, you would never say yellow teeth caused the cancer, you would say it is a side effect of smoking. Yellow teeth are not a behavior.

Just because weight is associated with chronic disease does not mean it is the cause. Weight is also not a behavior.

“Overweight” BMIs have the lowest risk of mortality

We’ve been sold the belief that being “overweight” is bad for your health. What we haven’t heard is this studies show Being ‘overweight’ has a lower risk of mortality compared to ‘normal weight’. A BMI of 30-34.9, referred to in the medical field as “obese category 1” has also been shown to have no higher risk of mortality compared to “normal” weight.Graphic with quote: "We have been sold the belief that it is "overweight" it is bad for your health.  What we haven't heard is that studies show it exists "overweight" has a lower mortality risk compared to "Normal weight." A BMI of 30-34.9, referred to in the medical field as "obesity category 1" has also been shown not to have a higher risk of mortality compared to "normal" weight."Graphic with quote: "We have been sold the belief that it is "overweight" it is bad for your health.  What we haven't heard is that studies show it exists "overweight" has a lower mortality risk compared to "Normal weight." A BMI of 30-34.9, referred to in the medical field as "obesity category 1" has also been shown not to have a higher risk of mortality compared to "normal" weight."

Why isn’t anyone talking about the protective effect of being “overweight”? Because that wouldn’t be good for all the pharmaceutical companies that sell weight loss drugs and the diet industry that sells their lifestyle programs.

BMI is bullshit anyway, but I could write another whole blog post on that topic, so I’ll save that for another time.

Bibliographical references:

Mann, T., Tomiyama, AJ, Westling, E., Lew, A.-M., Samuels, B., & Chatman, J. (2007). Medicare’s quest for effective obesity treatments: Diets are not the answer. American psychologist, 62(3), 220–233.

Solmi, M., Köhler, CA, Stubbs, B., Koyanagi, A., Bortolato, B., Monaco, F., … & Carvalho, AF (2018). Environmental risk factors and non-pharmacological and non-surgical interventions for obesity: A general review of meta-analyses of cohort studies and randomized controlled trials. European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 48(12), e12982.

Lissner, L., Odell, PM, D’Agostino, RB, Stokes, J., Kreger, BE, Belanger, AJ, & Brownell, KD (1991). Variability of body weight and health outcomes in the Framingham population. New England Journal of Medicine, 324(26), 1839–1844.

Tolvanen, L., Ghilotti, F., Adami, H.-O., Ye, W., Bonn, SE, Bellocco, R., & Lagerros, YT (2023). Prospective study of weight loss and all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 5669.

Mulligan, AA, Lentjes, MAH, Luben, RN, Wareham, NJ, & Khaw, KT (2018). Weight change and 15-year mortality: results from the European Prospective Investigation on Cancer in Norfolk (EPIC-Norfolk) cohort study. European Journal of Epidemiology, 33(1), 37–53.

Flegal, KM, Kit, BK, Orpana, H., & Graubard, BI (2013). Association of all-cause mortality with overweight and obesity using standard body mass index categories: A systematic review and meta-analysis. GLASS, 309(1), 71–82.

eator more blog posts like this see:

Diet Loss Science weight
bhanuprakash.cg
healthtost
  • Website

Related Posts

How sugar affects your microbes

February 10, 2026

Stress and weight in midlife

February 9, 2026

Nutrient Loss in Modern Cooking: How Frying, Microwaving and Overcooking Deplete Vitamins

February 9, 2026

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Don't Miss
Nutrition

How sugar affects your microbes

By healthtostFebruary 10, 20260

Understanding how added sugar shapes your gut microbiome and why balance mattersAuthor: Megan XipolitosWhen we…

The health benefits of walking at any age

February 10, 2026

‘Partial reprogramming’ of engram neurons restores memory performance in mice

February 10, 2026

5 Signs Your Skin Needs a Drink (And What to Do About It)

February 10, 2026
Stay In Touch
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
TAGS
Baby benefits body brain cancer care Day Diet disease exercise finds Fitness food Guide health healthy heart Improve Life Loss Men mental Natural Nutrition Patients People Pregnancy protein research reveals risk routine sex sexual Skin study Therapy Tips Top Training Treatment ways weight women Workout
About Us
About Us

Welcome to HealthTost, your trusted source for breaking health news, expert insights, and wellness inspiration. At HealthTost, we are committed to delivering accurate, timely, and empowering information to help you make informed decisions about your health and well-being.

Latest Articles

How sugar affects your microbes

February 10, 2026

The health benefits of walking at any age

February 10, 2026

‘Partial reprogramming’ of engram neurons restores memory performance in mice

February 10, 2026
New Comments
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Disclaimer
    © 2026 HealthTost. All Rights Reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.