Ninety percent of popular diet regimens fail according to studies and health experts. The latest data on weight-loss and diet reveal that almost a third to two-thirds of overweight individuals regain the weight they have lost after a year dieting, and go back to their full weight in a span of five years. According to experts, this indicates a loophole in the current approaches to weight-loss, and that includes diet. What are the reasons behind this failure?
We Might Be Believing Too Much
According to a review done for the Scientific and Technical Council in Turkey, weight-loss programs might be deviating away from the hands of true experts. The review described how specialists such as endocrinologists are rarely called to give their expert views about obesity, while non-physicians and non-specialists often appear in the media, talking about obesity issues. The review also described how people are greatly influenced by the media, and how quickly people believe a claim without examining it if appropriate evidence is indeed available.
People Are Not Made Aware of Their Inner Demons
Another reason contributing to almost 90% of diet failures is the lack of self-awareness. People who undergo a diet regimen are conditioned into thinking that sticking to the diet regimen offers a promising result, but they are not made aware of the “demons” or temptations they have to face along the journey. According to Andrew West, owner of a weight-loss retreat in Spain, one’s mindset is often the cause of most diet failures.
Frustrations that emerge during the process of the diet regimen bring forth a painful and unpleasurable experience. Once the human brain deems the diet regimen painful, it starts to come up with ways to avoid the pain—usually resulting in comfort eating. This decreases the human threshold to withstand the temptation. And this is the reason why people gain weight even after following a diet regimen. Most diet regimens do not bring this behavior to attention for obvious reasons, as no one will want to try a specific diet if it claims that it won’t work after so long. The person is instead left unprepared to face this kind of blockade and gives up.
It’s All About the Money
Going back to the review done by the group of medical professionals in Turkey, it seems weight-loss diets are driven by financial gains and have severely deviated away from health and well-being. This is proven by the emergence of diet pills and other waist-slimming drugs, which have not been tested, yet have appeared in pharmacy shelves. Advice and diet strategies are coming from individuals who do not possess professional qualifications, along with the fact that a lot of products, diet regimens and the like appear in the media without proper control.
How to Belong to the 10% Success Rate
The almost 90% failure rate of diet regimens doesn’t necessarily mean we have to eradicate them in the list of solutions for successful weight-loss. Experts say we just have to look at the particular parts where the failures are.
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Your Mindset
According to studies and experts, the failure does not often lie in the diet itself; the human mindset is a major factor. Most dieters start on a strict diet because they want a change (physical and social), but this mindset alone is not be enough to sustain them through the challenges of a regimen. Instead of thinking about the change, some experts suggest to change the mindset into thinking about success and a new lifestyle, rather than a quick fix. The slight change in one’s way of thinking can dramatically affect the course of the diet
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Base it On Evidence
Another strategy to ensure a success in a diet regimen is to have enough evidence supporting that the diet works. Research carefully on the diet, what principles is it based on and if it is indeed formulated by health experts or the right people in the business. A lot of diet regimens are being made popular, not because they are scientifically sound, but because they are endorsed by someone with power and money. Careful research and enough evidence are our best ways to sift through the imposters and find a diet that works for each of us.
Dr. Amarendra, the guest author likes to write on recipes, weight loss news and scientific studies. He is also interested in writing on diet recipes and middle eastern recipes.