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Which diet will it be this year?
New Year is that time of year when many of us reflect on where we are, take a breath, and make a promise to ourselves to improve something in our lives in the coming year. High up on the list of many people’s New Year Resolutions is an improvement to our health, and this usually comes in the form of starting a new diet and exercise regime. The aim usually being to lose weight, increase fitness levels, as well as improving health and wellbeing!
Dietary approaches to weight loss
‘Diet’ is one of the words most frequently searched for in the run up to each New Year and the internet is awash with all sorts of diets. These can include the DASH diet, the Keto diet, the Mediterranean diet, the Paleo diet, the MIND diet, and Intermittent Fasting to name a few. Other more extreme ‘fad diets’ also surface in searches, having gained popularity on social media. These are usually restrictive in nature and can lead to nutritional deficits with little effect on a person’s weight.
Macronutrient weight loss diet patterns, such as the ones above, which usually cause weight loss by restricting calorie intake of a particular food group, can be successful in helping people lose between 4-5kg after 6 months. By 12 months though, some of the weight loss has been regained, and overall, people have only lost about 3kg off their starting weight. There have been shown to be benefits after 6 months of being on some of these diets, to blood pressure and cholesterol levels, but these improvements are generally short-lived and by 12 months have diminished.
Medical treatments for weight loss
There are now alternative treatments which can help some people lose over 20% of their starting body weight. These have been popularised in social media as ‘skinny jabs’ or ‘weight loss injections’ but there is a degree of stigma attached to people who are using them when there shouldn’t be. They can be very effective in helping people lose weight and significantly improve their overall health. Recent studies have shown benefits to people’s long term cardiovascular health and other health outcomes too.
Studies have also shown that for these to be successful in helping people lose weight, they should also receive support from a clinician with expertise in this area. People who take these medications without support, are more likely to discontinue them, for reasons such as not knowing how to manage the side effects and how to titrate the dose. There are also concerns that people who start and stop them, as they’re not receiving support and advice, may lose muscle mass which is hard to regain.
Make a plan for the New Year
The New Year is around the corner now, and some of us will be looking ahead with optimism to what the year will bring. If you are thinking of making changes to improve your health and wellbeing, be kind to yourself and give yourself the best chance of succeeding in your aims. Contact us or book a free appointment with our weight loss doctor to talk about how she can help, and start the New Year feeling positive and supported!
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