Many women have been on ‘more than 20’ diets

Women are being warned about the dangers of yo-yo diets after a UK-wide survey revealed that more than one in five women have been on at least five diets and regained weight and many have been on at least 20 diets without keeping the pounds off.

The survey of more than 2,300 people, conducted by Slimming World and YouGov, reveals that 21 per cent of women have yo-yo dieted at least five times, 11 per cent have done it at least 10 times and six per cent have dieted and put the weight back on again more than 20 times.

The yo-yo diet figures have been released by Slimming World to mark European Obesity Day (Saturday, May 21) which this year is using the theme ‘stop yo-yo’ to raise awareness of “the dangerous cycle of repeated loss and regain of body weight and its dramatic effects on mental and physical health"

Dr Jacquie Lavin, Slimming World’s Head of Nutrition and Research, says: “Yo-yo diets can be both unhealthy for the body and psychologically upsetting as repeated cycles of weight loss and weight gain cause feelings of failure and a loss of confidence in your own ability to make changes.

“In recent years the UK has seen a huge rise in the number of faddy diets promising rapid weight loss through things like cutting out food groups, following unbalanced eating plans and only consuming liquid foods.  However in reality these diets can rarely be kept up in the long term as hunger, feelings of deprivation or other possible side effects force people who follow them to give up and go back to their old way of eating, causing them to put any weight they lost back on again.

“The good news is it’s never too late to break the yo-yo cycle and losing weight and keeping it off can be easier than you think. Building confidence in your own ability to make lasting changes is the first step and many people find that having the support of other slimmers who have been through similar experiences can help them realise that they aren’t to blame for their previous weight gain.

“While fad diets tend to be based around tiny food portions or banning certain foods, latest research suggests a diet of satiating low energy dense foods like fruit and vegetables, pasta, potatoes, rice, fish and lean meat is more effective for long-lasting weight loss. These foods fill you up and are naturally low in calories. Avoiding feelings of deprivation by enjoying the odd glass of wine or chocolate treat without feeling guilty is also important to long term success.”

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For further information or opportunity to speak to the authors of the report, please contact the Slimming World press office on 01773 546101 or 01773 546037 or email: public.relations@slimming-world.com

Notes to Editors

• Slimming World is the largest and most advanced slimming organisation in the UK.  Margaret Miles-Bramwell (OBE, FRSA) founded the company in 1969 and there are now more than 7,500 groups held weekly nationwide via a network of nearly 3,000 Slimming World trained Consultants.
• 400,000 members attend Slimming World every week and achieve outstanding success.
• Members lose 1.5million stones every year: 28,500 stones every week, 4,071 stones every day, over 170st every hour, that’s 2 stone 8lbs lost every minute of every day with Slimming World.
• Slimming World pioneered referral schemes in the UK and actively supports the building of partnerships with the NHS and local authorities to develop effective strategies to manage overweight and obesity in the community. Slimming World works with university researchers and specialists in an active research programme to further knowledge of the causes and treatment of obesity.
• Slimming World’s healthy eating plan, Food OptimisingÒ, and the principles behind Slimming World’s philosophy are based on a deep understanding of the challenges faced by overweight people. Slimming World integrates practical, up-to-date dietary advice with a highly developed support system.
• Slimming World Consultants receive specific training in dietary aspects and the role of physical activity in weight control. The highly developed training focuses on facilitating behaviour change in a group environment, acknowledged by experts as being the most effective way to support long-term weight management.