Is weight cycling associated with adverse health outcomes? A cohort study

Abstract

Evidence about the health effects of weight cycling is not consistent, with some studies suggesting it is harmful for health. Here we investigated whether weight cycling was associated with weight change and mental health outcomes in 10,428 participants in the mid-age cohort of The Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health (ALSWH) over 12years. In 1998 the women were asked how many times they had ever intentionally lost at least 5kg and how many times had they regained this amount. Women were categorised into four weight pattern groups: frequent weight cyclers (FWC, three or more weight cycles), low frequency weight cyclers (LFWC, one or two weight cycles), non-weight cyclers (NWC), and weight loss only (WL). We used generalised linear modelling to investigate relationships between weight pattern group, weight change and mental health outcomes. In 1998, 15% of the women were FWC, 24% LFWC, 46% NWC and 15% were WL. Weight change was similar across weight pattern groups in women with obesity, however healthy weight and overweight FWC gained more weight than women who did not weight cycle. We found no difference in overall mental health scores between groups, but both LFWC and FWC had higher odds of depressive symptoms (adjusted OR 1.5, 95%CI: 1.1 to 1.9 and 1.7, 95%CI: 1.1 to 2.4, respectively) than NWC. Our results suggest that, although weight cycling is not associated with greater weight gain in women with obesity, it may increase depressive symptoms.

Trying again (and again): Weight cycling and depressive symptoms in U.S. adults

“…This study did not report results while controlling for BMI and only included participants with overweight and obese BMIs. A prospective study of mid-life women in Australia, which did control for BMI, showed higher odds of depressive symptoms for more frequent weight cyclers [15]. Thus, recent evidence suggests that weight cycling may be related to depressive symptoms.…”

“…Indeed, levels of body weight have changed dramatically in just a few decades. For example, from 1999-2016 American children ages [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] show increased prevalence of overweight and obesity at every age group [12]. The increasing weight of adults is also well-documented, with the prevalence of obesity increasing from 30.5% in 1999 to 42.4% in 2017 [1].…”

Dietary underreporting in women affected by polycystic ovary syndrome: A pilot study

“…According to the literature, all women reporting a 5 kg weight loss three or more times in a lifecycle followed by a regain were defined as weight cyclers.…”

“…Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) index was also assessed as index of insulin resistance (cut-off value >2.3). 20 Moreover, we investigated the history of previous dieting, particularly the history of weight cycling with the following questions: 21 all women reporting a 5 kg weight loss three or more times in a lifecycle followed by a regain were defined as weight cyclers.…”

The Role of Choice in Weight Loss Strategies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Therefore, allowing individuals to choose a weight loss strategy as opposed to assigning a strategy provides a sense of control, potentially enhancing weight loss outcomes. While weight cycling as a result of attempted and failed weight loss programs leads to decreased perceived control, providing a choice of alternative weight loss modalities may increase successful weight loss outcomes [ 21 ].…”