Dangerous Weight Loss Techniques Undermine The Health Of Middle Aged People

Dangerous Weight Loss Techniques Undermine the Health of Middle Aged People

Unhealthy weight management techniques such as detoxification, fasting, and certain types of diets have been linked to health problems that emerge over time, such as indigestion, depression, and substance abuse.

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Unhealthy weight management techniques such as detoxification, fasting, and certain types of diets have been linked to health problems that emerge over time, such as indigestion, depression, and substance abuse. A third of adolescents and two-thirds of adults are on some kind of diet, according to US data.

A new study by scientists from the University of Minnesota focused on studying the prevalence of different weight management practices at different stages of a person's life. Scientists have found that often people begin to resort to these techniques in adolescence, and at an older age only exacerbate this tendency.

The research results were published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

American researchers analyzed the responses of 1,455 adult men and women who were asked about their diet.

Research has shown that:

With age, the frequency of the diet increases in both men and women.

• Between the ages of 25 and 31, men had an increased frequency of dieting (they “went on a diet” five times a year or more), and also more often began to use extreme forms of weight control, including body cleansing and diet pills.
• Both sexes tend to adhere to the diets and unhealthy weight management practices they began in adolescence in adulthood.
• About 20% of both sexes reported having started dieting in adulthood.
• About 20% of women reported that they said goodbye to unhealthy weight loss techniques in adulthood.

“Our results show that dangerous weight loss methods are not limited to adolescence - they often continue after 15 years,” says study author Dianne Neumark-Sztainer.

“Many of the activities and programs that educate about the effects of unhealthy weight management are now focused exclusively on young people, so there are probably not enough such programs to stop harmful ones,” said study author Ann Haynos.

Anne Heinos is currently continuing her research to identify risk factors in adults that can lead to unhealthy weight management practices. The findings will be used to design interventions for those at highest risk of negative outcomes from unhealthy weight management practices.