Age-proofing Your Brain, Weight, 8

UCLA researcher Stuart Wolpert found dieting does not work. (I’m tempted to say “Duh,” but I will refrain. Smile.) By their very nature diets are designed to fail. Initially you many lose a few pounds as the brain and body respond temporarily to something new and different. But dieting cannot be maintained over time, especially when it involves food deprivation. Within a space of just two to three years, most eventually gain back everything they lost—often more—and risk damaging brain and body systems in the process. A study published in the journal American Psychologist found that dieting does not lead to sustained weight loss or health benefits for the majority of people. The first step in escaping a diet trap is to recognize that you are in one. Stop dieting. If you aren’t dieting, don’t start. Instead, adjust what you eat, when you eat, and how much you eat as part of a high-level-healthiness lifestyle—and do that for the rest of your life. It matters. (For more information, refer to Longevity Lifestyle Matters, by Taylor, Horton, and Briggs.)