Dr. Janet Polivy, co-author of the book "Breaking the Diet Habit," said in a lecture last night that dieting often does not lead to weight loss but has negative financial, psychological and social ramifications.
The lecture, titled "Dieting: Truth and Consequences," was the second event of "Looking Glass Logic: Bodies, Images and Change," a three-day series of programs addressing body image coordinated by the Women's Resource Center and Health Resources. About 30 people attended the lecture in 105 Dartmouth Hall.
Polivy began her speech by saying the decision to restrict one's eating is usually made in the context of enhancing one's health, appearance or feelings of well-being.
But she cited the recent increase in obesity as evidence that dieting does not serve this goal.
"Since the 1980s, there has been a marked increase in weight gain in the Western world," she said. "I argue that this increase demonstrates that we must stop treating obesity because it causes obesity."
Studies show normally healthy eaters tend to binge if they reduce their food intake, according to Polivy. She said this leads to weight fluctuations rather than weight loss.
"Whenyou are trying to fight against your body, it is unlikely that you will win," she said.
Polivy said in addition to the fact that diets do not typically work, dieting has several negative psychological consequences.
"The eating habits of dieters is seriously disrupted, and that's not all that dieting does," Polivy said. "Chronic dieters behave differently than normal eaters."
Dieters become increasingly focused on food, and frequently replace pinups of women with pinups of food, according to Polivy.
Other psychological ramifications include irritability and apathy, she said.
Policy said these negative repercussions become evident in the social lives of dieters. Dieters frequently withdraw from socializing where food is present since they fear this will lead to binging, she said.
According to Polivy, a final consequence of dieting is the significant financial burden it imposes on dieters, as people invest in diet books, diet pills and surgical procedures to become thinner, she said.
The diet industry is a $33 billion dollar industry, she said.
"The consequences of dieting are not what we are led to believe," she said. "The only thing to get thin is your pocket book.The diet industry is doing well off of dieters, but dieters are not doing well off of the diet industry."
