Lots of experts disagree over the seemingly obvious notion of keeping weight off by trying to eat less – a debate that centers on whether the practice backfires, leading to binging and weight gain.
Now a new study shows that practicing restraint becomes more important with age.
Women who participated in the study had more than twice the risk of substantial weight gain if they did not become more restrained in their eating.
“Some suggest that restrained eating is not a good practice,” said Brigham Young University professor Larry Tucker, the study’s lead author. “Given the environmental forces in America’s food industry, not practicing restraint is essentially a guarantee of failure.”
The study followed 192 middle-aged women for three years and tracked information on lifestyle, health and eating habits. Their analysis revealed that women who did not become more restrained with eating were 138 percent more likely to put on 6.6 pounds or more.
Columbia University researcher Lance Davidson, who was not involved with the analysis, said the findings highlight an important principle of weight management.
Read more at ScienceDaily
