Why ‘yo-yo’ dieting can harm health

‘YO-YO’ dieting may be more damaging to our health than maintaining a steady weight, say scientists.

Those whose weight fluctuates most widely are more than twice as likely to die than those whose readings stay roughly the same, according to a study.

They are also 43 per cent more likely to have a heart attack and 41 per cent more likely to have a stroke, researchers from the Catholic University of Korea in Seoul found.

The study, published in journal Circulation, was based on changes in body weight, fasting blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol of 6,748,773 people over seven years.

The authors said that on-off dieting may damage cells and restrict blood flow – raising the risk of stroke and heart attack.