Access Body Image Month: How To Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (November 13, 2007) – Yo-yo dieting. Many Hollywood women have fallen into that trap — you lose only to gain it back, so you go on another diet to lose it again. It’s not only frustrating — it’s dangerous to your health.

As our Body Image Month continues, Access Hollywood investigates the dangers of this weight loss trend. In Hollywood, thin is in, but for some stars it’s not so easy.

“What was your biggest size,” Access Hollywood’s Maria Menounous asked actress Ricki Lake.

“24,” she said. “I was 260 pounds and a size 24 and now I’m 120 something and I’m… ‘This is me.’”

Nutritionist and author of “Food Cures,” Joy Bauer, told Access that constant dieting, gaining and losing weight (yo-yo-ing up and down) can be a serious health risk.

“It is hard on your body, it is hard on your heart,” Joy said. “When you lose a lot of weight, then you gain it back, it’s really hard on your psyche. You can get yourself depressed and in a funk.”

For example, Oprah has yo-yoed up and down since she made one of her biggest disclosed weight losses of 67 pounds.

Ricki Lake admitted she has dieted unhealthily.

“I lost like 100 and some pounds before when I was in my early 20’s,” Ricki told Access. “That was not healthy. I was starving myself, I was fainting.”

According to Joy, when it comes to dieting, people need to pay attention to their family tree.

“Genetics plays ahuge role in terms of how we’re supposed to look. People should not be striving to look like someone who is much thinner than they themselves are genetically suppose to be,” Joy said.

Joy joined Access at New York’s Sea Grill Restaurant in Rockefeller Plaza to show us the right way to obtain your optimal weight, with high quality carbs and protein.

And what about when it comes to the sweets?

“You want to stay away from the pints of super rich ice cream in the freezer,” Joy explained. “Instead you want to look for pre-portioned control ice cream pops, sorbet pops, or if you are just looking for something creamy, you can get some of the fat free puddings.”

And be careful when it comes to the salty nuts and chips.

“When it comes to nuts, they are incredibly healthy but they are also very very caloric and they can equate to a lot of weight gain before you know it,” Joy said.

If you must indulge, pistachios are a good choice – 25 nuts will run you 100 calories. Then there is the ultimate craving – chocolate.

“When it comes to chocolate you want to go for the dark. Dark has those heart healthy antioxidants. You also want to think small,” Joy said.

Choose either a cup of hot cocoa or small bite-sized candies.

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