Too much diet control can boomerang

Too much of control may be counterproductive a statement which cannot be more true when it comes to eating

Too much of control may be counterproductive a statement which cannot be more true when it comes to eating. Dieting refers to intentional restriction of caloric intake for the purpose of weight loss. Seemingly,successful dieting produces weight loss,which,however,might create a state of chronic hunger. Such dietary restraint often leads to a number of physical and psychological difficulties,poor self-esteem and a paradoxical tendency to gain weight,resulting from the incapacity to maintain strict restraint over time. Worse still,chronic or crash dieters are vulnerable to binge eating,eating disorders and severe ill-health. Dieting leaves a person vulnerable to uncontrolled eating when environment gets unstructured and normal food is restored.

People with eating disorders often report that severely restricted diet heralded the beginning of their loss of control over eating. Several studies demonstrate that food deprivation increases risk for binge eating once food becomes available and onset of eating disorders like bulimia nervosa. This applies to extreme or crash dieting,but not to the moderate weight management strategies. A recent study conducted in the US in 2008 supported the hypothesis that strict dieting is a strong risk factor for bulimic pathology.

Experiments have found that acute periods of marked caloric restriction increase the reinforcing value of food,which may explain why strict dieting,food deprivation or fasting increases the risk for binge eating. Probable hypothesis is that acute periods of marked caloric restriction depletes tryptophan,an amino acid precursor of serotonin,which may increase the likelihood of binge eating on high carbohydrate foods to restore tryptophan levels.

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Interestingly,more recent studies seem to suggest that a motivational trait called Disinhibition seems to be responsible for binge eating and altered eating behaviour. Disinhibition is said to be a strong predictor of body weight gain over time and of poor outcome of dieting. Disinhibition is associated with a tendency to lose control over ones eating behaviour and ingest excessively large quantities of food substances,in response to a variety of cues and circumstances. It is also referred to Disinhibition opportunistic eating or thrifty behaviour. A study conducted in 2001 at the Unilever Health Institute,Netherlands,reported that paradoxically,individuals highly concerned with food intake and weight control may be particularly susceptible to thoughts,emotions,and situational cues that can prompt overeating and undermine their attempts to restrain eating. In addition to its undesirable effect on weight,disinhibition also predicts various risk factors and diseases,such as hypertension and diabetes.

It seems obvious that strict dieting,too much day-to-day fluctuations in intakes,and attempts to enforce highly rigid control over eating all seem to be counterproductive to weight control efforts. Worse,they may disrupt more appropriate food choices and predispose to long-term ill-health.

Long-term weight management solutions and programmes must offer a certain degree of structuring of the personal food environment,while retaining flexibility in choices. It must also focus on altering eating behaviours favourably. Strict or crash dieting clearly must not be done to reduce body weight.

Ishi Khosla is a former senior nutritionist at Escorts. She heads the Centre of Dietary Counselling and also runs a health food store. She feels that for complete well-being,one should integrate physical,mental and spiritual health. According to her: To be healthy should be the ultimate goal for all.