- but, lately, you’ve been cruising the odd assortment of channels dealing with science, medicine and history. Did you know the Irish potato famine resulted from a failure to cultivate multiple potato varieties and the onset of the Little Ice Age? Yeah - it’s nearly as good as the soaps.

So, when you happened to flip past the special report on the whatever channel about dieting, wow! There it was in black and white, and full color, right before your diet-weary eyes. You could have - well, actually, you did - rushed forward, flung your arms about the television set and sobbed with uncontrollable joy. The reports headline said it all:

Diets Don’t Work!

Really? Well, according to a review of 31 long-term studies, dieting may actually increase the risk of weight gain. Researchers at UCLA discovered an amazingly consistent pattern in their review. The initial results of diets, of any variety, are likely to be positive. Most participants lose 5 to 10% of their body weight within the first six months. Then…

Almost as whether flipping a switch, the dieters start the process of regaining the pounds they have shed. Many will regain all the weight they lost

within the following two years. One study showed that 83% of the dieters they followed actually weighed more at the end of the two-year period than they did at the beginning of the study. Other studies have indicated that the singled-out best predictor of future weight gain is previous weight loss from dieting.

What’s to be done? Researchers postulate that exercise is the key component of long-term weight reduction. They plan studies to assess the effectiveness in weight control due to exercise and diet versus exercise alone.

In the meantime, you’ve got no date to dilly-dally. The TV says traffic is a mess and - the buffet opens in 15 minutes…

To read more about the study, see that from ScienceDaily. To read more about weight-loss strategies including diet, exercise, vitamins and supplements, and weight-loss surgery, see that from Mayo Clinic.