Dieting is not the way to lose weight and keep it off, according to researchers at the University of California – Los Angeles. Researchers looked at more than 30 studies that followed people on diets for between two and five years to determine the success of those diets. What they discovered reinforces what many nutritionists and doctors already believe – that dieting does not work.

University researchers found that while many dieters lost between five and 10 percent of their body weight early on in their diets, many gained the weight back – and more – within five years. According to the results of one study more than 80 percent of dieters gained back more weight than they had initially lost. At the end of the study, published in this month’s issue of American Psychologist, UCLA researchers concluded that dieting could not be considered safe or effective treatment for obesity and Medicare should cease funding this type of treatment.

These results should really come as no surprise to anyone and it’s seems incredible that studies like this are continually funded. But the fact remains that with all this information out there about the ineffectiveness of dieting, millions of people continue to do it with the vain hope of dropping weight quickly and keeping it off. Inevitably, they do lose weight but when the diet becomes monotonous they quit and the weight quickly returns. The simple truth is the only true sustainable weight loss can be achieved through a healthy, balanced diet combined with exercise.