Dieting and body weight: Review

Dieting is the moderate calorie reduction in order to lose weight. It includes various behaviors from healthy food choices to severe caloric restriction and occurs more often in women, white people and people belonging to a higher socioeconomic status. Dieting can be divided into three components: frequency of dieting and overeating, current dieting and weight suppression. Various behaviors ranging from mild (moderate caloric restriction, increased physical activity) to extreme (self-induced vomiting, pills) have been reported. Dieting is related to increased BMI and seems to prospectively increase weight, both in adults and adolescents. Apart from its effect on body weight it also seems to affect psychological aspects. In conclusion, even if a restrictive diet possibly leads to weight reduction in the short-term, in the long term dieting is not only ineffective in weight control, but it may also promote weight gain.