This is something I see in many people... Sigh... Hopefully by
posting information here, people would be aware about it.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo-yo_dieting
Yo-yo dieting, also known as weight cycling, is a repeated loss and
gain of body weight due to excessive dieting. The term "yo-yo
dieting" was coined by Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., at Yale
University, in reference to the cyclical up-down motion of a yo-yo.
In this process, the dieter is initially successful in the pursuit
of weight loss but is unsuccessful in maintaining the loss
long-term and begins to gain the weight back. The dieter then seeks
to lose the regained weight, and the cycle begins again.
The reasons for yo-yo dieting are varied but often include
embarking upon a diet that was initially too extreme. At first the
dieter may experience elation at the thought of loss and pride of
their rejection of food. Over time, however, the limits imposed by
such extreme diets cause effects such as depression or fatigue that
make the diet impossible to sustain. The dieter reverts to their
old eating habits, and with the added emotional effects begins to
rapidly regain weight.
This kind of diet is associated with extreme food deprivation as a
substitute for good diet and exercise techniques. As a result, the
dieter may experience loss of both muscle and body fat during the
initial weight-loss phase (weight-bearing exercise is required to
maintain muscle). After completing the diet, the dieter is likely
to experience the body's famine response, leading to rapid weight
gain of only fat. This is a dangerous fat-cycle that changes the
body's fat to muscle ratio, one of the more important factors in
health.
