weight Cycling Appears to Lower Levels of HDL-C in Women – (11-29-00)

Weight Cycling Appears to Lower Levels of HDL-C in Women

With so many diet plans being used today, it is very common for patients to try all types of diets over and over again. Almost without exception, some or all of the weight lost gets put back on. This weight cycling is dangerous and still does not achieve the end result. The only way to lose weight successfully and safely is to make permanent lifestyle changes.

J Am Coll Cardiol 2000;36:1565-1571 Women with a history of repeated cycles of weight gain and loss through dieting tend to have low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. The degree of HDL-C reduction is associated with an increased risk of cardiac events, according to a report by the Women’s Ischemic Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study group. “Overall,” the researchers found that “27% of women reported weight cycling.” Among these women, HDL cholesterol levels were 7% lower than in women with no history of weight cycling (52 vs. 56 mg/dL). In addition, the researchers report in the November 1st issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that HDL-cholesterol levels were directly associated with amount of weight lost and gained. Women who lost and gained 50 lb or more during cycling had HDL-cholesterol levels that were 27% below those of women who were “noncyclers.” “As a physician, I would say that the implications are that we should stop talking about dieting, until we get a diet that is successful for maintaining long-term weight loss,” Dr. Merz stressed. “Instead, we should start talking a whole lot more about exercise and nutritional practices.”