Fad diets double early death risk

FEARS Dangers of weight change

YO-YO dieting more than doubles the risk of dying young, a major study has found.

Heart attacks and strokes are more common in otherwise healthy people who lose and gain weight repeatedly. Those in the top 25% for yo-yo dieting are two and a quarter times more likely to die from any cause over five and a half years, the study of 6.7 million South Koreans found. They were 43% more likely to have a heart attack and 41% more likely to have a stroke. People who yo-yo diet tend to have higher blood pressure, heart rates, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The study, the largest of its kind, was published in Circulation journal. Senior author, Prof Seung-Hwan Lee of the Catholic University of Korea in Seoul, said: “Healthcare providers should pay attention to the variability of a patient’s blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, as well as body weight. “Previous studies in other populations [suggest] this is likely to be a common phenomenon.”