The Dangers of the Diet

Real talk time.

Continuing our celebration of National Heart Health Month, I want to discuss a sneaky and very dangerous threat to our hearts that is often overlooked in the onslaught of nutrition and exercise that comes at us in the discussion of heart disease prevention: yo-yo dieting, or “weight cycling.” In a  new study from New York University School of Medicine, patients whose weight fluctuated repeatedly were linked with a 117 percent greater risk for heart attack, a 136 percent increase in stroke risk and a 124 percent greater likelihood of dying. Those who experienced the greatest fluctuation in weight (8.5 pounds or more) were at a 64 percent increased risk for a coronary event and an 85 percent increased risk for general cardiovascular event.

While a National Institute of Health-funded study showed that slow and gradual weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of body weight can show great improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, the trick is keeping the weight off for at least a year or more to reap these metabolic and cardiovascular benefits. Quick fixes or fad diets almost always result in rebound weight gain, which in turn is more dangerous to your heart than maintaining a heavier overall weight. Small, maintainable lifestyle changes can make a big difference in the long run: add more fruits and vegetables to your plate, switch sugary drinks for water or tea, and create activity and exercise habits that you can fit into your daily life, even when life gets crazy.

Lunch break walk, anyone?