Pittwater Life September 2020 Issue

Health & Wellbeing
Why diets don’t work and
what you should be doing
Health & Wellbeing
Every time we lose weight
we are pre-wired to put
it – and often a bit more –
back on again.
And that’s why diets don’t
work, says obesity expert and
Northern Beaches local Dr
Nick Fuller.
A leading researcher at
The University of Sydney and
founder of the Interval Weight
Loss program, Dr Fuller
recently shared his expert
opinion with Pittwater Life.
“Diets have been around
since the 1970s but they
have done nothing except
contribute to the very problem
they proclaim to solve,” he
says.
“Research has proven that
dieting accelerates weight
gain and that people who diet
ADVICE: Dr Nick Fuller.
end up heavier than those
who don’t.
“The latest buzz is
certainly keto, 5:2 and 16:8
(intermittent fasting).
“But they are just
as ineffective as their
predecessors.
“People lose weight but they
regain it due to physiological
changes that take place in the
body; for example, a decrease
in metabolism and an increase
in appetite hormones,
inevitably sending a person
back to their set point – their
starting weight.”
However, new research
shows you can beat the weight
regain. Dr Fuller suggests if
you want to lose weight and
keep it off you should take on
board these five tips.
1. Weigh just once
per week
Body weight fluctuates
enormously from day to day;
therefore it is important to
just monitor the trend over
time. Weekly weighing is best
– pick the time and day that
you prefer and record your
weight each week.
2. Eat more, not less
Dieting has led us to believe
that we should be restricting
the volume of food we put
into our body. However,
when you deprive yourself of
food, your body shuts down
by lowering its metabolism.
Instead, you should be
focusing on eating more
food – plenty of nutrient-rich
food will help speed up your
metabolism and help you with
your weight loss goals and
prevent weight regain.
56 SEPTEMBER 2020
The Local Voice Since 1991