If you are stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of going on a strict diet and losing weight, only to gain the weight back when you start to eat a normal diet again, you are stuck in a yo-yo diet cycle. When you are stuck in this cycle, your body adjusts to unhealthy eating habits, such as you not consuming enough calories and then when you start to eat normally, your body has a difficult time adjusting to a healthy diet. Yo-yo dieting affects your health and is associated with numerous problems.
Metabolism
When you start following a very restrictive diet, your body begins to adjust to the number of calories you are eating each day, which is usually very low. As a result, your metabolism slows down and your body doesn't use as many calories to function. Once you start eating a diet that isn't as restrictive and contains more calories, your metabolism remains slowed down -- possibly for months or years. This leads to you gaining weight when you start to eat a healthy diet. Once you gain weight, you are likely to start another restrictive diet.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Crash diets or fad diets, which are the diets most often associated with yo-yo dieting, don't encourage a balanced diet because food groups are usually eliminated or restricted to unhealthy levels. Because you aren't eating a balanced meal plan when you are dieting, your body isn't getting all of the nutrients it needs to function properly. Iron deficiency, potassium deficiency, vitamin deficiency and sodium deficiency are the most common deficiencies associated with yo-yo dieting. While it is possible to make up some of the deficiency by taking supplements and vitamins, you still must eat a balanced diet most of the time for your body to function properly.
Organ Failure and Damage
Organ failure and damage, such as liver or kidney failure, is possible when you are in a cycle of yo-yo dieting because of the nutritional deficiencies. The exact organ affected depends on what nutrients you aren't getting enough of each day. For example, a potassium deficiency can lead to a heart attack. Additionally, when you aren't following a diet that contains sufficient calories and healthy fat for your needs, your body begins to feed off of your organs as a source of energy.
Other Problems
Yo-yo dieting is also associated with decreased bone density that may lead to osteoporosis. Mental health problems, such as depression, can also occur because of the constant cycle of losing and gaining weight. It is also possible you become irritable, especially if you are constantly hungry while dieting or if you are suffering from low blood sugar. Eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia nervosa are also possible.
