What are the causes of the yo-yo effect? In short, why do we almost all gain weight immediately when we stop following a particularly strict diet? The brain is to blame. This is supported by a study by the prestigious research center Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research. You can read them in the scientific journal Cell Metabolism.
In this article
The brain wants to eat
Researchers explain that when we follow a strict diet there are mutations in some brain circuits in the area ofhypothalamuswhich among other things is responsible for hunger control. When we eat too few calories for our lifestyle, very strong signals go to these neurons. Consequently, when we go back to eating these nerve cells send equally strong signals of hunger.
Causes of the yo-yo effect: our body still thinks like it did centuries ago
If we decide to go on a strict diet, our brain doesn’t think we’re following it because we want to lose weight. On the contrary, he thinks there are difficulties in sourcing food. Consequently, when we go back to eating, it sends strong signals that increase appetite so that we can store more nutrients in anticipation of any new periods of famine. Here is the infamous one effect yo-yo. We go on a diet, we lose weight. As soon as we go back to eating, however, we gain weight quickly, recovering the lost kilos.
Experts explain that to do this, the brain sends longer-lasting hunger signals.
The brain pushes us to eat junk food when we follow strict diets
But there’s more. To combat the lack of food during a strict diet, reward-related brain areas become particularly active in the face of junk food, the so-called comfort food. Foods that would be banned become even more delicious and irresistible.
Hence the step towards compulsive binge eating it’s short. If you don’t have a lot of willpower, after a few days of strict regimen, we are driven to go astray to compensate for the continuous influx of these powerful signals of appetite. Basically we create the conditions to transform food into obsession.
Causes of the yo-yo effect: crash diets scare the brain
The yo-yo effect, also known as a weight loss and weight gain cycle, occurs when a person loses significant weight through very restrictive or crash dieting, only to regain all or more of the weight lost. This cycle can occur multiple times throughout a person’s life, creating a negative impact on overall health.
What are the health risks of the yo-yo effect?
The health risks associated with the yo-yo effect:
Loss of muscle mass: Following extremely restrictive diets can lead to loss of muscle mass, as the body can use protein stores as an energy source. Loss of muscle mass can slow your resting metabolism, making it harder to maintain a healthy weight over the long term. Effect on metabolism: The yo-yo effect can impair the body’s metabolism. Crash diets can lead to a reduction in your basal metabolic rate, which means your body burns fewer calories at rest. When you gain weight back after a diet, your metabolism can remain sluggish, making it more difficult to lose weight in the future. Psychological impact: The yo-yo effect can have a significant impact on mental health and emotional well-being. People may feel frustrated, guilty, or inadequate when they fail to maintain weight or when they regain weight after dieting. This can lead to eating disorders, anxiety, depression and a distorted relationship with food.
The main problems of the yo-yo effect
Weight fluctuations can increase your risk of heart problems. The yo-yo effect has been associated with an increase in blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels, all risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Extreme diets can be deficient in important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fiber. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies, weaken the immune system and increase the risk of malnutrition.