20 Years of Weight-Loss Advice: Why Aren't We Thinner?

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20 Years of Weight-Loss Advice: Why Aren't We Thinner?

Our teachers always told us it is important to study history so that

we can learn from our mistakes. Perhaps if people applied this

concept to weight-loss advice, we could help reverse the rising

obesity rates. Let's take a look at some of the advice we have tried

to follow over the past 20 years, and see if there is anything to be

learned from our experience.

Severely restrict calories

Very-low-calorie diets were popular in the 1980s, and came in an

infinite variety of forms. Some included periods of fasting, others

had dieters consume only liquid meals. All were difficult to follow

for more than a few weeks. People do lose weight on these diets.

Unfortunately, the weight is usually regained. Researchers have also

found that people end up fatter on these diets than when they began.

They lose some muscle mass on the diet, but the regained weight is

mostly fat.

Researchers have also found that severely restricting calories leads

to a drop in resting metabolic rate as the body shifts into

a " starvation response. " The body puts all nonessential biological

functions on hold. This can include reproductive function, immune

response, and growth and repair. These diets are especially harmful

for adolescents and older adults, since bone density and muscle

strength may be compromised.

Fat has a lot of calories and is easily converted to fat stores.

Therefore, it is thought that you can lose weight if you just cut

fat out of your diet. This advice from the 1990s may sound familiar

to many readers. While it sounded logical, and the part about

reducing fat intake is helpful, many dieters made the mistake of

going on an all-you-can-eat carbohydrate binge. But, as we now know,

too many calories -- no matter what kind -- can lead to weight gain.

We have also learned that small amounts of certain types of fats

improve health. The monounsaturated fats found in olive, canola and

peanut oil help reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood.

The omega-3 fats found in fish help reduce the inflammatory response

and clotting rate that increase risk for heart attack and stroke.

Eat as much protein and fat as you like

High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets were popular in the 1970s, and

came back a few years ago for a repeat performance. People who

manage to reduce calories on these diets do lose some weight. Others

only follow the " eat all you want " part without sufficiently

reducing carbohydrates. Reducing intake of processed carbohydrate

foods such as baked goods and French fries is a good idea. However,

researchers recommend that you include healthful carbohydrates in

your diet. Plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains

give you vitamins, minerals, fiber and other helpful phytochemicals,

such as antioxidants.

What have we learned?

We have learned that fat is easy to gain, and hard to lose. Over the

past two decades, scientists have studied the minority of people who

manage to lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off.

Here's what helps them maintain their weight:

They limit empty-calorie foods, and consume reasonable portions of

healthful food.

They consume plenty of vegetables.

They manage to exercise for at least one hour a day.

They cultivate healthy habits they can live with, rather than

severely restricting calories or cutting out entire food groups.

Cultural forces

Over the past 20 years, researchers have come to believe that our

cultural lifestyles are the driving force behind the obesity

epidemic. Physical activity has been engineered out of daily life,

and we have ready access to a huge range of food products, many of

them high in calories. These cultural forces make weight gain easy.

Countering these forces takes a great deal of ingenuity

and " willpower " -- more than many individuals can summon in the face

of the fatigue and stress that is part of daily life. Communities,

fitness centers, workplaces and schools must work together to create

environments that encourage easy access to healthful eating and

exercise behaviors.

Barbara A. Brehm, Ed.D., is professor of exercise and sport studies

at College, Northampton, Mass.

© Fitness Management Magazine. Used by permission.