chennaidoc's Stuff

Many of today's common medical conditions, from osteoporosis to hyperactivity, were not recognized as medical conditions a century ago. Medicalization is the term for the process by which these phenomena and many others have come to be viewed as medical conditions

The average dieting weight loss maintained over extended time (between 2.5 and 10.5 years) was less than 2.5 pounds. ... Of the 10 reports, only one described lasting weight loss, two showed no long-term effect, and the remaining seven studies found that dieting led to weight gain in the long run. ... The problem is that the benefits are erased by the typical return of those stubborn pounds. And as with the higher-than-ever weight gains, the aftereffects of dieting may cause additional basic health problems. Weight cycling—the common up-and-down yo-yoing of the scale—seems to have especially pernicious effects and is associated with higher blood pressure and heightened risk for heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.