London - Your waistline may not have expanded in years.
But there could still be several good reasons for going on a diet, scientists say. Even in those who may not look like they need to, dropping a few kilos can improve your sleep, mood and sex life, a study found.
Research revealed that adults with an ideal body mass index (BMI) – or those who are overweight but not obese – felt happier, less stressed and had more energy after slimming down.
The benefits also extended into the bedroom, with libido and relationships all receiving a boost when calories were cut by a quarter over two years. British experts have previously said that adults should aim to be at the lower end of an “ideal” weight range to prevent health problems including cancer.
But the latest study, from the US, suggests that counting the calories can also bring many psychological and lifestyle benefits. Researchers from the Pennington Biomedical Research Centre in Louisiana tracked the health of 218 men and women for two years. Volunteers were either “normal” weight or overweight but not obese, with a BMI of 22 to 28. Overweight is 25.2 to 29.9. Obese is over 30.
Two-thirds of the group were asked to cut back on their daily calorie intake by a quarter – the equivalent of two bars of chocolate in women, and three pints of lager and a slice of buttered toast in men. The rest were told to eat as usual. After two years, the dieters had lost more weight – an average of more than a stone (about 6.3kg) – and were happier and healthier. The exact reasons for the findings are unclear.
But decades of research in animals suggest that a severe restriction in calories leads to the body switching to a “survival mode” that slows ageing and improves health. The volunteers may also have got a psychological boost from their slimmer figures.
Presenting their findings in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, the researchers said: “In non-obese adults, calorie restriction can be undertaken with little concern about negative effects on quality of life, mood, sexual function and sleep.”
But Professor David Haslam, of the National Obesity Forum, said many of the changes seen in the study could be brought about by simply eating more healthily.
He said: “It’s odd people of normal weight should be counting calories and much more sensible for them to be eating healthily.”
Daily Mail