You know her – that skinny girl who seems to defy all laws of calories and doesn’t gain an ounce. One day she’ll order a salad, the next she’ll eat a jumbo sized plate of spaghetti like it’s no big deal. So what’s her secret? It’s quite simple – she doesn’t diet. She eats healthy but has a relaxed relationship with food, unlike many of us who tend to be preoccupied by it. Sadly, for many women being paranoid about food or weight has become a way of life. Our adulthood is defined by cycles of restrictive dieting, dropping 5lb then putting it back on again. Sure, some may see temporary results, but numerous studies reveal that fad diets do not work in the long term and could in fact cause physical and psychological damage.

Challenging a lucrative industry, let me share 5 reasons why diets don’t work.

1. They are unsustainable

Diets often promise quick results through restricting calories, cutting out certain foods/food groups, or engaging in other habits that aren’t realistic or sustainable. Lets face it – you can’t live off lemon water with cayenne pepper or avoid carbs forever. In fact, the deprivation of dieting sometimes leads to phases of binging or overeating, chipping away your self-esteem. Moreover, your body is an intelligent and sophisticated machine: it responds to overly-restrictive diets as a stressor, slowing down your metabolism in order to prevent starvation, which in turn will compromise your weight loss efforts!

2. They are not fun

All diets have an element of deprivation and require strong willpower to stick to the rules. This monopolizes our time, mental energy and takes the pleasure away from food, making weight loss a battle. Instead, healthy eating should involve listening to your body, and creating a positive relationship with food to support weight maintenance.

3. They can be harmful

Diets that are low calorie or avoid certain food groups can result in a lack of essential nutrients. This causes muscle mass loss, low energy levels and lowered metabolism in the short term. In the long term, fluctuating weight caused by yo-yo dieting can increase risk of heart disease by 70%.

Furthermore, in a weight and appearance-obsessed society, eating disorders are becoming a significant public health concern.  Dieting, along with the frequent and compulsive weighing that accompanies it, can lead to eating disorders. Unfortunately, there is a thin line between dieting and disordered eating, which needs to be recognized before it is crossed to avoid harmful long-term health issues.

4. They do not involve exercise

Dieting alone is not an effective long-term strategy as requires more change than most people are capable of adjusting to. Instead, a moderate restriction in calorie intake combined with an increase in physical activity provides the healthiest, and most sustainable weight loss.

5. No one diet fits all

Why is it that your friend has had results with her diet plan, but when you try it, it fails? Research increasingly suggests that each of us is unique in the way we absorb and metabolize nutrients. Most diet plans are not personalised. They do not take in to account distinguishing factors such as age, constitution, gender, size, lifestyle, ethnic background, or personal preference. Therefore, foods that may suit your friends may make other individuals gain weight or feel lethargic.

So what now?

The first step to permanent weight loss is to lose the diet mindset. The next step is to replace the word ‘diet’ with ‘healthy lifestyle’: a lifelong program of everyday healthy and enjoyable eating coupled with regular exercise. That’s easily said, but for many, this entails a mindset shift so that you can be more disciplined with your food and drink, set aside the excuses and find the time for exercise. Remember, the rewards of a healthy lifestyle are sustainable  long-term results for the most amazing thing you will ever own – your body.