10 Reasons Why Diets Don’t Work

Medically reviewed by Maria Sarino, MD FACT CHECKED

It’s no secret that the diet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. Every year, people spend billions of dollars on diet books, products, and programs in the hope of losing weight.

And yet, despite all of this spending, the average people is heavier than ever before. The prevalence of obesity has more than doubled in the last 30 years.

So, what gives? Why don’t diets work? There are several reasons. In this article, I will explain why diets don’t work.

Reasons Why Diets Don't Work
  1. Diets Couldn’t Be Sustained

    Over the past few years, there has been a growing trend of people trying out different diets in an attempt to improve their health.

    However, many of these diets are not sustainable in the long term, and people often end up reverting to their old eating habits.

    There are a few reasons why diets are not sustainable. First of all, they could be difficult to stick to, especially if you have to give up your favorite foods.

    Secondly, they could be expensive, as you may need to buy special food or supplements.

    Lastly, they could be time-consuming, as you may need to prepare meals differently or spend more time cooking.

    If you’re looking to improve your health, it’s important to find a sustainable solution that will work for you in the long term.

  2. Dieting – A Form Of Starvation

    Dieting is a form of self-imposed starvation. When you diet, you restrict your food intake in an attempt to lose weight.

    This could lead to several negative health consequences, including muscle loss, hormonal imbalances, and a decrease in bone density. It could also be a trigger for disordered eating. 

    If you have any history of eating disorders, you should avoid dieting altogether. If you’re interested in losing weight, there are much healthier ways to do so.

    You could start by making small changes to your diet, such as cutting out processed foods and eating more whole foods. For more calorie burning, you could up your exercise level.

    And finally, you could focus on making long-term lifestyle changes so that you could maintain your weight loss in the long run.

  3. Diets Could Lead to Bingeing

    When you go on a diet, you are usually reducing the number of calories you consume. This could lead to feelings of deprivation, which may in turn lead to bingeing.

    However, if you make sure to eat a balanced diet and keep your calorie intake at a healthy level, you could avoid these feelings of deprivation and also be able to stop binge eating.

    So if you’re thinking about going on a diet, you may want to think twice. Dieting may lead to bingeing, which could sabotage your weight loss efforts.

  4. Diets Pull You Into A Food Obsession

    There’s no doubt that dieting could be extremely difficult. Not only do you have to be careful about what you eat, but you also have to be mindful of how much you’re eating.

    If you’re not careful, you could easily become obsessed with food. Many people who start dieting end up thinking about food all the time. 

    They’ll count calories, track their macros, and feel guilty if they slip up. This could lead to an unhealthy relationship with food and could even lead to eating disorders.

    So, if you’re thinking about starting a diet, be sure to proceed with caution. You don’t want to end up obsessing over food and making your eating habits even worse.

  5. Changes In Diet Raise Cravings

    Diets could increase cravings. Dieters are more likely to experience cravings than non-dieters.

    This means that if you’re on a diet, you’re more likely to crave unhealthy foods and eat them even though you know you shouldn’t.

    This is likely because diets cause changes in our brain chemistry that make us more prone to cravings. So if you’re trying to lose weight, you may want to think twice before starting a diet.

    Instead, focus on making dietary changes that you could stick with long-term.

  6. Boredom

    Boredom is often cited as a common reason for diet failures. When we become bored with our food, we are more likely to crave unhealthy snacks and meals.

    You may overeat as a result and gain weight. So how could we combat boredom when it comes to our diet? 

    The key is to mix things up and keep our meals interesting. Try new recipes, add new spices to your dishes, and eat out at different restaurants.

    By keeping our diet interesting, we could avoid becoming bored with it and are more likely to stick to healthy eating habits.

  7. Dangers of Low-Fat

    Low-fat diets have been all the rage for decades now. The thinking goes that by eating less fat, we would automatically consume fewer calories and lose weight.

    However, this is not always the case. Many people who try low-fat diets end up gaining weight instead of losing it. 

    There are a few reasons for this. First, low-fat foods are often high in sugar, which could lead to weight gain.

    Second, when we cut out fat, we often end up eating more carbohydrates, which could also cause weight gain.

    Finally, some low-fat foods are just not as satisfying as their full-fat counterparts, which may lead to overeating.

    It is important to read labels carefully and not fall into the trap of thinking that all low-fat foods are good for you.

    By being aware of the pitfalls of low-fat foods, you could set yourself up for success in your diet or healthy eating plan.

  8. Vigorous Exercise

    Most people trying to lose weight or get in shape will eventually give up on their diet and fitness routine. And the main reason for this is because their workouts are too intense.

    It’s not that people are lazy or don’t want to get in shape. It’s just that when your workouts are too intense, they become unsustainable.

    Intense workouts deplete the body of energy, causing people to crave sugary and high-calorie foods, and also could create health problems.

    So if you’ve been struggling to stick to your diet, it might be time to dial back the intensity of your workouts.

    Or, you could try to find a balance between healthy eating and exercise that works for you.

  9. Your Job

    There are many reasons why diets don’t work, but one of the biggest is our jobs.

    The modern workplace is full of unhealthy temptations and stressors that make it difficult to stick to a healthy diet.

    From the office candy jar to the fast food restaurant down the street, our jobs make it hard to stay on track.

    People who have desk-sitting jobs are more likely to be overweight and have higher levels of body fat which cause diabetes and high blood pressure than those who have active jobs.

    So what could you do? If you’re trying to diet, it’s important to find a way to make your job work for you, not against you.

    Try to find healthy alternatives to the unhealthy temptations at work and make a plan to deal with the stressors healthily. While challenging, it is possible.

    If you couldn’t change your job, you may need to be extra diligent with your diet and exercise routine.

    But even if you couldn’t make changes to your job, there’s no need to despair – you could still reach your goals with a little extra effort.

  10. Sleep Deficit

    It’s been a long-standing belief that the reason people fail at diets is that they lack willpower. But there may be another reason for diet failures: sleep.

    When people don’t get enough sleep, their bodies produce more ghrelin, a hormone that increases appetite.

    This means that sleep-deprived people are more likely to feel hungry and have cravings for unhealthy foods.

    So if you’re struggling to stay on track with your diet, it may be time to focus on getting more sleep. Of course, this is just one of many factors that may contribute to diet failure.

    But if you’re not getting enough sleep, it’s worth investigating as a potential cause.

Final Remark

Long-term failure of the great majority of diets. There are several reasons for this, including unrealistic expectations, restrictive eating habits, and a lack of support.

Most people who go on diets end up regaining the weight they lost, and some even end up gaining more weight than they started with.

If you want to lose weight, you could address one of these aspects that are causing you problems. Be inventive and experiment with different changes.