Yo-Yo Dieting linked to Addiction

A new study suggests that quitting a high-calorie diet may be as difficult as kicking a drug addiction.

Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine put a group of rats on a regular diet for five days. After the first five days, the rats were switched to a high-sugar, chocolate-flavored food. When the rats were later deprived of the sugary food, they displayed brain activity similar to that of someone experiencing drug or alcohol withdrawal. The rats also showed signs of anxiety.

The study's author, Pietro Cottone, believes that this research suggests a link between yo-yo dieting and cycles of addiction and withdrawal. Cottone explains that yo-yo dieting generates dependence. When people who usually overeat quit overeating, stress hormones in their brain can cause anxiety and decreased motivation. Eventually, they may reject other food alternatives in order to alleviate that anxiety, which is when their diets fail.

Once a history of dieting and failing is established, the next attempt to avoid sugary foods is likely to cause significant stress and anxiety, and therefore increase the chances of yet another relapse. This cycle is similar to what drug addicts and alcoholics go through when trying to overcome addiction.

If giving up overeating is as difficult as kicking a drug addiction, it makes sense that many people fail to make lasting changes using willpower alone. For this reason, it's important to seek help and a strong support system if you want to break the cycle of yo-yo dieting once and for all.

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